The World of the Creatures Part 1: The Great Awakening
by pmraptor98
Summary: Non-special, unremarkable museum-educator, Patrick Murphy, wakes up in a world of...well, seemingly everything. Dinosaurs, elves, sorceresses, witchers, superheroes, dwarves, timelords, kaiju, future-humans, Na'vi, Yautja, Silurians, Ents, vampires,and so SO much more. Warning: self-insert. Using the story to examine myself as a person. Self-indulgent, but not mindlessly so.
1. Prelude - The Adventure of A Lifetime

**Prelude - The Adventure of a Lifetime.**

Something has happened...I don't know what. It was more than a dream. More than a vision. More than a delusion. And yet, it was filled with so many things that are absolutely impossible. How does a person reconcile what they know happened with what they know can't be true? I guess that's what I'm going to try to do here.

I subscribe to a skeptical view of examining the universe, even after everything that's happened. As such, it would be hypocritical to ask you to believe any of what I'm about to say. Not only do I lack Carl Sagan's extraordinary evidence for these extraordinary claims, but I don't have any evidence at all. All I have are memories, and as it's been said before, "memories are carved in wax, not stone." I am convinced that these things happened, but I can't hold it against you if you are not (indeed, I can expect nothing less). With that being the case, the easiest way to look at all of this is as fiction. From that perspective, it may at least be entertaining, and even the most far-fetched fantasies can speak to some kind of truth, in their own way. As I said, I'm doing this largely to make sense of something I don't quite understand, but if others can get something out of it too, so much the better.

It was, in a very real and literal sense, the adventure of a lifetime. It's an experience that I'm sure others have had before, and to live through it must be the greatest privilege that life can bestow on those lucky enough to receive it. Like all the best adventures, it was rife with terror and danger. The greatest threat of all was that I might suffer what some would argue is a fate worse than death. And yet, it was filled with wonder and beauty - the kind that most people go their whole lives only dreaming of. What would you be willing to risk if it meant having your greatest desires granted? This is not only rhetorical - it's a question that may be asked of you one day, with far more...practical implications.

If you survive, it will only be because you are strong enough to grow as a person - to see the worst in yourself, and face it down. Not everyone can do this. Some people look at the absolute worst in themselves and don't even recognize it. Others fall into despair when confronted with their own darkness. This almost happened to me. But I am fortunate enough to know, and know of, certain people that helped me to overcome such feelings.

What you are about to read is something that can only happen in a story, and that will be apparent right from the off. But in a way, isn't that what we all are in the end? Stories? Maybe whether or not this actually happened isn't really the point, or at least, not the most pertinent one. If this is, above all else, a story, then maybe what's most important is that it is told to whoever is kind enough to listen. If you join me for this story, for this adventure, then I thank you. I really, sincerely hope that you gain something from it, however small.

Ready? Then let's begin.


	2. Chapter 1 - A Rude Awakening

**Chapter 1: A Rude Awakening**

I was definitely not expecting to wake up that morning in the middle of a gigantic, steaming, tropical jungle. Ordinarily, I wake up in my bedroom on the second floor of my mother's four bedroom house in Manchester, Connecticut, usually sometime between 8 and 10 in the morning, depending on my plans for the day. Sometimes I wake up at dad's house in Wethersfield. Other times, I'll wake up in the home of my good friend, Brendan Anderson. And every so often, I'll wake up in a hotel room, having spent the night out of town for one reason or another. But the one place I've never woken up, or expected to be woken up in, was In the middle of a gigantic, steaming, tropical jungle.

It's hard to describe the overwhelming sense of numbness that gripped my mind in those first few moments. There could be any number of questions that jump to the front of your mind if you were to find yourself in such a situation. "How?" "Where?" "Why?" "What?" All of these, and more, certainly came to mine; all at once and with not a single clue how to answer any of them. It was every bit as confusing a predicament as would be expected, if not more so.

Very thankfully, whatever agent had deposited me into the middle of this forest had at least seen fit to dress me. I had gone to bed in nothing but a pair of blue boxer shorts, but when I woke up, I was wearing a pair of comfortable blue jeans (the comfort is worth noting, as I am quite overweight, and most of my pants feel a bit tight to be perfectly honest) and a T-shirt; my favorite T-shirt in fact. It was dark teal, and with a custom design that I myself had created. It showed the image of a fully feathered dinosaur called _Utahraptor_, and words that spelled out, "They had feathers, get over it," in the safari style font often associated with the _Jurassic Park_ films. I was even fortunate enough to wake up with my android and wallet in my pocket, though as you can probably guess, I wasn't getting any signal.

Was I dreaming? That was easily testable. Not by pinching, but by virtue of the fact that I've had plenty of lucid dreams in the past. So I knew it couldn't have been a dream when I tried to activate god-mode, and found that I couldn't fly or shoot lasers out of my bellybutton. Was I hallucinating? That was a bit harder to answer, because – at least, to the best of my knowledge – I've never hallucinated before, certainly not in any way like this. But it didn't seem very likely given my mind was more or less clear (all things considered) and I had no motor- control or coordination issues. The initial shock had sent me jumping up to my feet, but I knelt back down, shuffling away the layers of dead leaves, and placing the palms of my hands into the cool, damp earth. I dug my fingers into the dirt, feeling the wet, clumpy particles rubbing against my skin. It felt real enough.

If I could rule out things like dreams and hallucinations, then that left me with the simplest explanation – that everything around me was real. Having tentatively accepted that scenario, this forced me to consider its implications – namely, that I could potentially be in real danger. That was when the dam burst. Though paralyzed at first by shock and confusion, the realization that I could very well be in real, mortal danger allowed a torrent of fear and anxiety to sweep over me. I began breathing heavily, twisting my head pointlessly from one corner to the next, as if in search of help I knew wasn't there. Stumbling, I fell against a large tree, resting my forehead against its green, moss-covered bark. So overcome with fear and frustration, my eyes began to water and I cried with the voice of an infant, who cries not for any specific purpose, but only because they have no other way to handle their agitation. Not the most…dignified response, I admit…

But I let the moment pass, 'crying myself out' if you will. With the feeling of confused terror having washed over me, I stood back up to my full height and looked around. I resolved that it made little sense to stay put. Though my frantic imagination conjured everything from hungry tigers to bands of murderous anarchic death squads, I knew full well that if I had any hope of figuring out where I was, or how I was to get back home, I'd have to journey into the forest. It seemed logical to me that if I kept going for long enough, I was bound to bump into someone sooner or later. I would just have to hope that the 'someone' in question was friendly (or at least, tolerant enough not to kill me). So, taking a deep breath, I took my first step away from the spot where I woke, and into the depths of the trees.

Having overcome that initial bought of fear, I was able to observe my forested surroundings properly for the first time. I assumed I had to be in some place equatorial – the Congo, India, Southeast Asia, or Central or South America. But as I walked, observing the jungle more carefully and closely, it didn't feel like any of those places. Now, I've never actually _been_ to those places, so that statement may be entirely meaningless, but I'd seen plenty of BBC nature shows to get at least a vague idea of what they look like, and this one just seemed…somehow different to all of them.

I felt something in that jungle that I had never felt before when outdoors. It was as if there was a presence held in the air between the trees. The closest thing i can compare it to is when the air becomes electrically charged building up to a lightning storm, but it was stronger. If this presence had a name, then it might have been Nature. Not the abstract, nebulous force worshipped by druids and hippies, and used by unscrupulous food industries to jack up the price on gluten-free cookies. In that forest, Nature was real, and it was alive.

The trees grew in layers that started with humble saplings that barely reached my ankle, and ended with gigantic redwoods and kapoks that stretched as high as Lady Liberty's torch. The mid layers in between were made of a diverse collection of impressive specimens: shoreas, banana trees, wild cashews, birches, firs, cedars, pines, palms, and many more. Each of these were in turn covered with strangling figs and leafy epiphytes, with mosses and lichens clinging to their bark. Below the understory were dense groves of smaller plants: leafy shrubs, tender ferns, and ancient cycads. The only break in color from the omnipresent green were the vivid wild flowers that blossomed at every turn: striking red laceleaves, deep violet morning-glories, Arabian jasmine white as snow. These are just a sample of the amazing botanical splendor that radiated for miles around me.

All of those flowers created a sweet aroma that wound through the trees and mixed with the scent of decay rising from the leaf litter. The overall effect was pungent, though not altogether unpleasant. The forest was also a noisy place: whether it was the soft crumple of supple leaves under unseen feet, the light trickle of a stream gently flowing between the trees, or the symphony of voices echoing from every corner of the jungle. There were insects, birds, and frogs, whose chirping and singing I could recognize instantly...and there were other calls too. There were throbbing hoots, erratic chatterings, mournful howls, and high shrieks. I could only guess at what kinds of creatures made sounds like those.

The more I moved through the forest, the more my emotions shifted from frustrated puzzlement to wide-eyed wonder. I strained my neck to look straight up toward the canopy, squinting to try and make out the highest branches. There was a quiet humility to standing in the shadow of something so utterly gargantuan. As my eyes moved down the trunks toward the crisscrossing limbs of the mid layers, to the tangled thicket of the underbrush, I noticed the tiniest, subtlest hints of an interconnected community of organisms so vast and complex as to be entirely beyond human comprehension. I saw ants crawling along an acacia tree, finding shelter in its thorns and drinking sweet juice from its vines. The ants would chase away any other insects who tried to feed on the tree's leaves, only to become food themselves for wandering spiders, frogs, or other predators. It was a treat to see the mechanisms of nature working at full throttle, enough to put a smile on my face and a warm sense of loving contentment in my heart.

I wandered for hours. I grew hungry, and my thirst became so desperate that I gulped down mouthfuls of spring water, despite whatever intestinal parasites might be living there. Hopefully, cryptosporidium wouldn't be as bad as dehydration. I didn't know what time it was when I woke up, so I can't know for sure how long I had been exploring the jungle that first day. But the hours passed, and the little light there was on the forest floor began to grow dimmer. Darkness came to the woods at least a couple hours before night settled on the sky above. There was a gradual, nearly-imperceptible shift in the calls of the forest creatures. The diurnal gave way to the nocturnal. I admit, I felt just the slightest tinge of fear as night fell. When you grow up in the suburbs, you never really know what true darkness is - not until you find yourself lost in the wild in the shadow of trees the size of Big Ben. No starlight. No moonlight. Just the dark.

I can't remember if I saw it or smelled it first. Smoke drifted through the trees and touched my nose gently with that strong odor that almost stings. Pale orange light flickered in between the tree trunks. It was a camp, though I couldn't tell how big it was from that distance. I strained my ears, and caught the sound of human voices - soft, and conversing casually amongst themselves. Did I dare approach? They might have food or clean water. They might also kill me. In the end though, the choice wasn't mine to make.

I heard one of the voices shush the others. Silence fell at once, though it only lasted for a few seconds. A voice called out from the camp; a deep, gravelly voice. "Who's out there?"

Was he speaking to me? He couldn't have...I had been as quiet as I possibly could, standing perfectly still in the midst of the jungle foliage. Nobody else answered, and the voice called out again, "I know you're out there. I can hear and smell you."

When I heard the voice a second time, something clicked in my brain. I knew that voice, but...it couldn't be. Waking up in the middle of a tropical jungle is unlikely, but...that voice? That was just downright impossible.

Except it wasn't, because it called out again. "It's okay, you don't need to be afraid. Just want to talk." Totally unsure of what awaited me around that campfire, I parted the wide magnolia leaves in front of me, and made my way over the uneven terrain toward the flickering flames.

There were three people sitting around the fire, two women and a man. The man was just slightly taller than me at over 6 feet. The light of the fire gave everything it touched a hue of orange, but I could tell his skin was stark white, with long hair loosely tied back to match. He was dressed in dark red leather armor covered with metallic studs, and there were two long swords sheathed in scabbards tied to his back. Several scars were visible on his face, with an especially nasty one streaking across his left eye. Speaking of his eyes - they were his most remarkable feature of all. They were yellow, with black slits for pupils like a cat. He looked to be in his late forties.

One of the women resembled him in that she was also very fair skinned, and had ashen hair turned pale orange by the campfire. However, her eyes were perfectly human: dark green, and highlighted by heavy eye shadow. She wore a white blouse over a tight corset, and dark brown trousers that led down to lighter colored, knee-high boots. Like the man, she had a wicked scar over her left eye, and carried a sword on her back. She was much younger than him though, and looked about my age, perhaps a bit younger.

The final person looked somewhere in between the man and the first woman in age. She was tall, light skinned, and dressed in a gold tunic with light blue overcoat covering just her shoulders and half of her arms. Red sleeves covered the rest of her arms, and she had black tights ending in high-heeled, flat bottomed shoes. Her hair was a magnificent scarlet, and tied into two buns at the back

All three of them just stared at me, and I stared back at them; first to the man, than the younger woman, and then the redhead. They seemed to examine me from top to bottom, while I just stared stupidly at them, my mouth hanging half open.

Finally, the younger woman broke the silence. "Hello," she said in a friendly voice. "What's your name?"

I blinked a few times, returning from my sudden stupor to the moment at hand. "P-Patrick...Murphy," I said in a voice that cracked so sharply it was as if puberty had returned with a vengeance. That's what happens when you go the whole day without saying anything.

"And what are you doing out here in the jungle, Patrick Murphy?" she asked, again in a friendly tone.

I swallowed. "I...I don't know...I mean...I…" I struggled to find the right words, having not gotten over the shock of seeing these particular three people. "Sorry, I...I don't know...how I got here...I just woke up here several hours ago...but I don't, I...I mean, I don't live here. I live somewhere else, and then-"

"You woke up here, with no idea as to how you got here?" the red-haired woman said.

I nodded.

"So did we," the younger one said. "I'm Ciri, and these are my friends, Geralt-" she said, gesturing to the man, "-and Triss," she gestured to the redhead.

Do you recognize those names? I did, as I recognized their faces, their clothing, their voices...everything about them. I recognized them because I've played the video game, _The Witcher III: Wild Hunt _(well...I've not so much played it so much as avidly and obsessively consumed everything about it until it was embedded into my very essence…) and these were three of its primary characters. Were they being serious? Maybe they were exceptionally talented cosplayers? No...their faces were perfect flesh renderings of the characters, and their voices matched exquisitely. Given how I had come to be in this forest in the first place, I had to be open to the possibility that Cirila Fiona Elen Riannon, Triss Merigold of Maribor, and Geralt of Rivia were sitting before me, in the flesh.

"Are you alright?" Ciri asked, no doubt prompted by the dull, stupid glaze that must have been in my eyes.

"N-no, no, no sorry, I...it's just…"

"It's a lot to take in," Triss said, "we understand."

There was a pause before Ciri asked, "I don't suppose you know where we are?"

I shook my head.

"Figures," she said, rolling her eyes. "Where do you come from, Patrick?"

I had no idea how to answer that question. It's not as if they'd recognize any of the place names I gave them. In the end, I decided to answer honestly, as I would anyone else, and deal with any subsequent questions as they came my way. "I'm from Manchester."

Triss asked, "Is that near Sodden?"

I shook my head. "No, it's in Connecticut, just outside Hartford."

They all exchanged confused looks. Geralt said, "Is...that anywhere in the Northern realms?'

Again, I shook my head. "United States of America."

"Wait, wait," Ciri said, holding up her hands, "I think I know what's going on here," then she turned to look at the other two, "I think he's from a different world."

"Oooohhh, of course," Triss said in dawning realization. Geralt said nothing, but his eyes grew even more intense. I was relieved to hear her say that. Parallel worlds were a fixture of the Witcher series, and it provided a handy, in-universe explanation for the discrepancies in our respective realities.

"It would also explain his clothes," Triss said, looking at my shirt and pants. "Never seen fabrics like those before. Can I feel?" I moved closer to her, allowing her to reach and grasp a bit of my shirt between her thumb and index finger. "Very soft. What is it?"

"Cotton," I said.

"I wouldn't mind having a few pieces made of this," Triss said.

"Not sure I understand the shirt," Geralt said.

I suddenly remembered the words on my shirt, and smiled for the first time since meeting them. I waved him off and said, "Just a stupid joke from...my world…" the words felt very odd to say in earnest, "don't worry about it."

"Have you ever traveled between worlds, Patrick?" Ciri asked me.

I shook my head, "No...never."

"It can be a lot the first time," she said comfortingly, "but you get used to it. Why don't you take a seat?"

I looked behind myself awkwardly to make sure I didn't sit on a sharp stick or angry scorpion. I planted my backside in the leaf litter and sat with my knees pointing outwards. "So...do you know what world this is?"

Ciri shook her head. "No, it's not one I've ever seen or heard of before. I've been to many worlds...but nothing quite like this...we weren't sure at first that we'd traveled to another world at all. Geralt thought we might be in Zerrikania."

"It was a good guess," he said, looking at her.

I nodded slowly, "Right...right…"

"Why don't you tell us more about your world," Ciri said.

"Oh...okay, uh...anything you'd like to know?"

"What does it look like?" she asked.

I took a moment to think. After all, our earth could be described in any number of ways. I decided to start with where I live and move outwards. "Well...where I live, people live in houses arranged on intersecting streets. Other places have huge cities with gigantic skyscrapers thousands of feet tall. There are forests and fields in some places...deserts and ice caps in others. There are four oceans and seven continents, with over 200 countries in total."

"Interesting," Geralt said. "Does everyone have their own flying machine?" he asked, looking at Ciri with a smirk, which she returned.

I laughed because I remembered the moment from the game which he was referencing. "No, not everyone. There are flying machines, but people only use them for long distance travel...though the tickets are expensive."

Ciri had a look of vindication on her face as she looked at Geralt. Then she turned back to me and asked, "Is there any magic in your world?"

"No," I said, "Just in stories."

"Where we come from, magic is real," Triss said. "I'm a sorceress - a woman who can use magic." It felt odd...and just a little tedious…to be told these things, which I knew only too well. I nodded politely. "Geralt can use magic too, though only a few simple spells."

"Signs," Geralt said, his arms crossed. "Can do basic things like conjure fire or cast a shield."

"Geralt is a witcher," Ciri said, "a man mutated to fight monsters for a living."

"That would certainly explain all the scars," I said nervously. Triss and Ciri laughed, but Geralt stayed quiet. He was still eyeing me closely.

"What about you? What do you do?" Ciri asked.

I was beginning to realize that all the questions were coming from them. Of course, the real reason for that was because I already knew all three of them, so there was little point in asking questions for the sake of gaining new knowledge. But I also realized that it might look strange or even rude if I didn't display some level of curiosity about them. Still, I had her question to answer first. "Oh, I uh...I work as an educator at a museum."

"What kind of museum?" Triss asked.

"Well...do you have dinosaurs in your world?" I was actually genuinely curious to know that. I knew from reading _the Lady of the Lake _that Ciri had caught a brief glimpse of dinosaurs fighting when traveling through the void between worlds. In addition, Geralt once referred to a rare order of animals called 'ornithoreptiles' which looked vaguely like avialan dinosaurs based on the description, but what these had to do with dinosaurs as we know them I'm wasn't sure.

Triss said, "Hmm...not that I'm aware of. Geralt?"

"Never heard of them. Ciri?"

"Me neither. What are they?"

"They're animals that lived...a long time ago, before the first people. There were once millions of them all over the world, with thousands of different kinds in every shape and size imaginable, but now there is only one group left….birds."

"Birds?" Triss asked.

"Yes...where I come from, at least...birds are dinosaurs: the only dinosaurs still alive. Not all dinosaurs looked like birds, but many of them did, and all of the features that people associate with birds - like feathers - first came from dinosaurs."

"Wait, wait," Geralt said, putting up a hand, "is that what your shirt is about?"

I laughed. "Oh, yeah actually, it is. See, since all of the dinosaurs that aren't birds are gone, there's been a lot of uncertainty about what they looked like. Somewhat recently...and by recently, I mean in the last 25 years...we've discovered that many types of dinosaurs had feathers. We used to think that all dinosaurs were scaly skinned like lizards or crocodiles, but that's not true. Some people refuse to believe that, or would rather believe that dinosaurs were scaly because they prefer the older ideas."

"Not sure I understand," Geralt said. "If dinosaurs include birds, why would people think they were scaly like reptiles?"

"Ah, excellent question," I said, shifting into the same mindset I have while working, "You see, dinosaurs are reptiles. And birds are dinosaurs. Ergo, birds are reptiles, at least according to the system of classification used in my world, which is called phylogenetics. And we do know that many types of dinosaurs were scaly-skinned, and we learned about those kinds first, before we discovered the feathery ones. It's kind of like trying to figure out the characters and sequence of events of a story: we only have certain pieces of information to go off on, so we'll make guesses, and as we find more pieces to the story, some of the guesses will turn out to be wrong, and then we have to change our ideas."

"Kind of like detective work," Geralt said.

"Exactly!" I said, grinning widely. "It's a bit too much to get into the complicated relationships between the distribution and evolution of filamentious integumentary structures across ornithodira, but...well, yeah, to answer your question, Ciri, that is what I do."

"Sounds like it's a good fit!" she said, smiling. I felt a wonderful warmth deep within.

"Wait, wait!" Triss said, sitting up all of a sudden. "I just remembered! Geralt, those tracks we found in the forest, a few hours ago?"

"Oh yeah," Geralt said, "The ones that looked like giant bird tracks?"

I shot to attention at the sound of that, my eyes going wide. "'Giant bird tracks?'" I asked.

"Yeah, we found them heading eastward several hours back. Pretty big too," Geralt said.

I looked frantically around me, running my hands through the dead leaves. When I was finally able to find a stick, I began digging into the dirt. "Did they look like this?" I said, tracing the outline of a footprint with the end of the stick. The footprint that I drew had three long toes, each one tipped with a sharp claw. The middle toe was the longest, and there was a slight notch at the back of the heel.

"Yeah," Geralt said, "Except these were a lot bigger."

"How big?"

"Had to be three feet from the longest toe to the heel."

I gripped my fingers in clenched fists. My eyes were now so wide that the smoke from the fire made them tear up. I was breathing rapidly, as if straining for air. All in all, I suppose I looked...well, constipated to the three of them.

"Are you alright?" Ciri asked me again.

I didn't even really know how to answer that. 'Alright' is how you feel when lounging by the pool with a cold drink in hand. Alright is how you feel when out for dinner with good friends. What I was feeling was something far more extreme. I began to speak aloud, more to myself than to them. "Large theropod, somewhere between 30 and 40 feet long, probably anywhere between 3 - 12 tons. Could be a large allosauroid like _Saurophaganax_, or the larger specimens of _Allosaurus _if the two aren't synonymous. Or, if it's a carcharodontosaurid, then it could be _Mapusaurus_, _Carcharodontosaurus_, _Giganotosaurus_...or, if a megalosaurid, then something like _Torvosaurus _if the larger estimates are correct, or maybe some kind of huge spinosaurid...though probably not _Spinosaurus _itself. Of course, we can't rule out tyrannosauridae either, so it could be _Tarbosaurus_, _Zuchengtyrannus_...maybe even _T. rex_!"

The three of them just looked at each other. "I take it those could have been dinosaur footprints then?" Triss said with an awkward laugh.

"Oh, yes, right, sorry...got a bit carried away there for a second," I said, nervously rubbing the back of my head. "But, yes, if that's what the footprints looked like...then it is entirely possible they were left by a dinosaur…" I said, still reeling from the sheer incredulity of the words. "Dear god...there are dinosaurs here!"

"Hmm," Geralt said, slouching slightly, "How long ago did these creatures live?"

I was hesitant to answer because I wasn't sure how comfortable they would be with the concept of geologic time. Evolution is a known concept of the Witcher world, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the idea of a world billions of years old is as well (that's true of of our world as well - Darwin's and Wallace's theory came long before radiometric dating). But honesty is always the best policy, so I answered, "The first dinosaurs appeared about 235 million years ago. Except for birds, they all died out 66 million years ago."

"Good gods!" Triss proclaimed, "I had heard of geomancers divining certain rock groups to be millions of years old, but...that is extraordinary!"

"Wait," Ciri interjected, "If they're so old, and they lived before the first humans, then how does anyone know about them?"

"What? Oh, we find their fossilized remains in sedimentary rocks all over the world," I said with a lazy wave of my hand. I was still mesmerized by the possibility that there were living dinosaurs somewhere in the wide world around me.

"Now, what I'm wondering," Geralt continued, picking up from his earlier thought, "Is how strange it is for them to be here."

"What do you mean?" Triss asked.

"We three are here, from our world. Patrick is here from his. These dinosaurs are also here, from Patrick's world, though from long in his past."

Ciri put her hand on her chin. "Hmm...that does seem rather remarkable...really makes you wonder what else might be out there."

"Or what could possibly bring all of these things together in the same place," Geralt mused aloud, "Or why."

"There's no doubt about that," I said nodding, "Impossible things happening all over the place around here."

"If they're impossible, then why are they happening?" Triss asked.

"That may be the single most important question of all," I said pointing to her.

Just then, I heard a sound. The others heard it too. It rose up high into the night air from someplace far away. At first, it sounded like a loon - high, mournful, and somewhere in between a howl and a cackle. But then it broke off into a hideous, maniacal chortle. This sound was uncanny; something profoundly inhuman was trying to imitate something as fundamentally human as laughter. The effect was off putting to say the least. I recoiled back from the direction the sound came from, while Triss, Ciri, and Geralt all looked at it fiercely with eyes as sharp as a blade.

Behind me, within the dark of the jungle, a thick branch snapped, the sound carrying through the camp. My head spun around to peer into the blackness between the trees, in a vain search for the source of the noise. Nothing appeared, though another sound crept into our ears: a deep, low growl. I could actually feel the rumbling call pass through my body like a phantom. Both Geralt and Ciri reached for their swords, and Triss held out her right hand. A ball of orange flame burst from her palm and she held it as easily as a child holds a baseball.

Leaves rustled as a huge, hulking mass moved unseen through the understory. Despite its enormous size, its footsteps were quiet, and made no sound other than the soft crumple of tender plants under its feet. We watched as it moved through the forest, never coming close to the camp. Finally, as the sound died away and the only noise that remained was the ambience of the night, we breathed a sigh of collective relief. Geralt and Ciri put their hands down, and the flame in Triss' fingers was extinguished.

"You reckon that was a dinosaur?" Ciri asked in a voice just louder than a whisper.

I shook my head. "No one knows what dinosaurs sounded like." I don't like making claims I can't back up with evidence, but somewhere inside, I knew. Call it heart, instinct, intuition, what have you; but that was no dinosaur. Neither of those sounds came from any animal that's ever walked upon the earth. And given the endless possibilities presented by this world, there was no guessing what it might have been.

"It's getting late," Geralt said. "There'll be plenty of time for conjecture in the morning. For now, we should rest."

"Agreed," Triss said

"I don't know if I'll be able to sleep knowing something like that's lurking out there," I said grimly.

"Don't worry," Geralt said, "Witcher's are light sleepers. If anything as big as a grasshopper tries to sneak up on us, I'll have it's head faster than you can say, 'wake up.'"

In my fear, I had almost forgotten who I was staying with. "Oh right, yes, good point." I gently lay myself down on the cold, damp earth, gathering a pile of dead leaves that, along with my arm, would have to serve as a pillow. Geralt flicked his right hand, and the flames disappeared without so much as a puff of smoke. Utter black filled my vision, and it almost felt like there was more light with my eyes closed than open. I did my best to ignore the sounds of the bush and push out all the anxious thoughts that swarm in my head like a hive of angry hornets. I let myself be overtaken by the exhaustion of the day's events, and even though these were far from ideal sleeping conditions, I was out completely after just a few minutes.


	3. Chapter 2 - The Tree

**Chapter 2: The Tree**

I may have fallen asleep quickly, but the sleep was far from restful. I was constantly rolling over sticks and rocks which stuck into my sides and back. I also suffer from sleep apnea, so I kept waking up with a dry mouth and sore throat. Poor Ciri, Triss, and Geralt must have had to put up with my snoring. Eventually I stopped trying to sleep altogether, and just sort of lay on the ground half dozing.

It took a long time to realize that morning had come. The sun was already fairly high before its golden rays were able to filter through the trees and down to the forest floor. Geralt was the first to wake. He had been sitting perfectly still with his eyes closed all night, as if in meditation. His eyes glowed a pale yellow in the dark morning. Reaching over to shake Ciri out of slumber, he said, "Come on, wake up."

She stretched her arms over her head as she sat up. "Damn," she said, "I was hoping we might wake up somewhere else. Maybe even back home."

"No such luck," Geralt said, "Now come on, we need to find something to eat."

At the sound of food, I sat up instantly. I hadn't eaten in over a day, which as you can imagine, can be quite a challenge for someone of my size.. "Food? Breakfast?" I blurted out automatically.

"What's going on?" Triss said, turning over from her side.

"Wake up," Geralt said, "Time to get some breakfast."

"Excellent. I'm famished," Triss said, sitting up.

"Alright," Geralt said, getting to his feet, "I'll see if I can find some game. Triss, you try to find some fresh water. Ciri, you go out and forage; see if you can find some fruit or eggs or something."

"What should I do?" I asked, hoping to be useful.

"Oh yeah," Geralt said, realizing he had forgotten me. "Uh…"

"You can come with me!" Ciri said, moving over to my side. "The more eyes the better."

"Alright. Let's get to work," Geralt said, turning away from us and disappearing behind a branch covered in coniferous needles.

"I'll see you later, little sis," Triss said, waving to Ciri as she climbed over a fallen log and past a bush covered in brilliant orange flowers.

"Not too long now," Ciris said to her. "Alright then, Patrick. Let's get to it then, yeah?"

"Sounds good to me."

Together, we moved away from the directions where Triss and Geralt had gone off. A faint mist drifted through the trees, collecting in a thin line of moisture along the surface of the surrounding leaves. I felt the occasional drop of water land on the top of my hair, or the morning dew rub off on my skin as I brushed against the odd shrub. The forest was once more teeming with a wide variety of living things scurrying beneath the underbrush, creeping up the side of tree trunks, or flapping from one branch to another. From some place far off, a loud melodious call rang out from the canopy, reminiscent of a gibbon declaring its territory to its neighbors. The insects were already in full force, buzzing in thin clouds around our faces.

"Unrelenting little vermin," Ciri said as she swatted at the bugs.

"So do you know how to tell poisonous berries from safe ones? Because I sure as hell can't,"

"I can where I come from," Ciri said, "But I'm not so sure about this place. In general, it's best to avoid white or yellow berries."

"What about these ones?" I said, pointing to a bush a few feet away. It's leaves were accompanied by bushels of deep violet berries, perfectly round.

"Let's take a look, shall we?" she said, gong over to the bush and grasping a branch in her fingers. She counted the leaves, and then smiled as she picked just one of the small berries with her fingers. "Hmm...elderberries, I think." She plopped it onto her tongue and mulled it over in her mouth. "Yes, definitely."

"Never had elderberries before," I said, making a mental note that my only experience with elderberries is of that one Monty Python line I'm sure you've all thought of by this point. "What do they taste like?"

"Tart," she said. "But they're safe, and quite nutritious."

She handed me a few of them, which I ate. She was right- they were quite tart. I scrunched my face a little, but then said, "Not bad on an empty stomach."

"Precisely," Ciri said as she began taking whole handfuls of them and putting them into a small bag tied to her waste. "They're also useful as medicine for things like headache and constipation."

"Hmm," I said with a small nod. I'm always wary of the medicinal claims of certain herbs.

"Still, I wouldn't mind something more hearty," She said looking upwards toward the branches. "Can you see any nests?"

I looked up as well, my eyes scanning for any mass of twigs and leaves that might potentially be a nest. I couldn't find any, but I did see something else of interest: a hole in a trunk about 50 feet off the ground. I just barely caught sight of a bird fly out out of the hole before it was lost among the tangled mass of winding branches. "Maybe up in there?"

"Where?" Ciri said, looking up toward where I was pointing.

"There, see? That hole, up in this big tree here?"

"Oh, right I see it now," Ciri said. She looked back down at me with a sly smile. "Want to see something clever?"

"I guess so," I said, not entirely sure what she meant.

She answered me with a brilliant flash of blue light that made me blink. When I opened my eyes again, she was gone. I looked stupidly around the spot where she had been standing not a second before, somehow forgetting Ciri's signature ability as a child of the Elder Blood: the last living descendant of an ancient Elven eugenics program that tried to breed for the ability to move through time and space. Once I finally remembered this unique ability, I turned back to look at the hole in the tree, and saw her up against the trunk, standing precariously on a thin branch underneath, and holding onto another branch overhead.

"Impressive, huh?" Ciri said, half jokingly.

"Eh, I've seen better," I said, pretending not to be impressed.

Ciri laughed before peering into the hole. "You were right, there's a nest here."

"Eggs?"

"Seven of them!"

"Excellent!"

She reached into the nest with both hands and pulled out the eggs. Once they were safely in hand, she disappeared in a second flash of blue, only to reappear less than a second later just two feet to my right.

"Show off," I said, and she laughed. I looked at the eggs she'd collected, and saw that they were only about a quarter the size of a chicken egg, and were pale, milky blue. "Huh...looks like they've got some moisture on them. Maybe they were laid recently?"

"Could be," Ciri said. "There might be enough here for a few mouthfuls each. Let's see if we can find some more."

"So," I said, broaching the subject of her teleportation skills as if i wasn't intimately familiar with them already, " You can teleport."

"I can teleport," she said, mirroring me. "It's a very handy skill."

"Oh I can only imagine," I said. "What do you do with it?"

Her expression faltered slightly. "I haven't used it much actually. Not as much as I could at least...hard to explain. See….not to sound vain or anything, but I'm kind of special"

"I'll say," I said, in a way that could be interpreted as flirty. She smiled at least.

"I have powers that only a very few others have ever had...and mine are the strongest in centuries. There are some out there who want to use my powers for their own reasons, and they've spent years trying to find and capture me. They can find me if I use my powers, so I don't use them unless it's absolutely necessary."

"I see..where did your powers come from?" I asked. Again, I knew a lot of this stuff already, but it would seem weird if I didn't show any curiosity.

"I was born with them," she said. "One of my ancestors was an elf named Lara Doren. She and her people had these powers because they'd been cultivated and bred to have them by elven mages. What the mages didn't count on is that Lara fell in love with a human, and they had a child."

I smiled. Not because I was feigning interest, but because of how...romantic that sounded. Not just romantic in the common sense, but in the larger, more traditional sense as well: love as a power great and unpredictable in and of itself. It's a wonderful thought, isn't it? "You never can count on such things, can you?"

"Evidently not."

"Who wants your powers?" I asked, returning to my charade.

"The elves," she said. "Or, a particular subgroup of them called the Aen Elle. They were breeding those with these abilities in order to open the gates between worlds and launch invasionary campaigns to conquer other realms. They want me - my blood - in order to open the gates and launch an invasion of my world, wiping out or enslaving those that live there already."

"Elven planetary conquerors...damn...but wait, if they can track you by using your powers, then how come you just used them now?" That wasn't part of the charade - it was an inconsistency in the games that always irked me.

"Oh, cheap tricks like that are alright," she said smiling. "I can do much more than that. I can travel between different worlds as easily as you'd cross the street. As I've told you, I've traveled to many different worlds before, seen unbelievable things of all kinds."

"Oh right, good point," I said, nodding. "Must be incredible - to see new worlds, new peoples, new kinds of life."

"It is," she said, "thought it can be quite dangerous too"

"Oh of course," I said. "That's plain enough, especially if you three did see giant theropod dinosaur tracks last night."

Then she looked at me. "By the way, I wanted to ask you - how exactly do you know so much about dinosaurs if they've been extinct for so long?"

"Oh right, sorry, guess I didn't really give the proper explanation of that," I said. "Do you know what fossils are?"

"I think so...I remember a friend and mentor of mine once mentioning fossils. She was talking about peasant superstitions of snakes that had been turned to stone as punishment by the gods, and petrified dragon's tongues. But she said that, in reality, these were actually things like sea shells and shark's teeth turned to stone."

I nodded, "Yes, we used to have stories like those in my world as well. Fossils are the remains of living creatures that have been turned to stone over thousands, millions, or even billions of years."

"And how does that happen?"

"Well, it's very rare. Only a small percent of the creatures that have ever lived will leave behind fossils because the conditions have to be just right. There are a few different ways that fossilization can occur, but basically what happens is that the remains of the animal are buried in very-fine grained sediments. The soft parts all decompose, leaving behind the hard parts such as bones, teeth, shells, etc. Over time, the surrounding minerals go in and replace the original material of the remains - so, like, calcium for bones."

"So you're saying that dinosaur bones became fossils?"

I nodded again. "Oh yeah. Sometimes, the bones are very fragmentary. Some dinosaurs are only known from half a vertebra that eventually crumbled to pieces some time after being uncovered. Others are known from complete and articulated skeletons! And it's not just bones that can fossilize either. We've found fossilized footprints, gut contents, internal organs, skin-impressions, and even fecal matter!"

"What?" Cir said, actually laughing at that. "How on earth can a piece of shit exist for millions of years?"

"Same way everything else does - it gets buried, minerals replace it, turn it to stone."

"Remarkable," she said putting her hands on her hips. "How do you know so much about all this?"

If I may partake in a slight moment of self-indulgence, I get asked this question a lot, and I gave her the same answer I give everyone else. I shrugged and said, "I read a lot. Some of my friends are paleontologists - er, that is to say, scientists who study fossil life."

"How long have you been studying?"

"Uh...about 25 years now?"

"Wait...how old are you?"

"About 25 years old."

She laughed. "So your whole life then?"

"I swear, it's prenatal. When my parents learned they were having a baby, they bought a bunch of crap that babies like, like toy cars, barnyard animals, spaceships, yada yada. When they took me home, I went straight for the dinosaurs, and I've never looked back. Dinosaur was literally the first word I could ever spell, even before my own name!"

She smiled at me. "It must be nice, having something that you're very passionate about and knowing what it is from such an early age."

"It really is," I said, wistfully. "What about you? Do you have something you care so much about?"

She nodded. "Yes. Maybe not since birth of course, but for most of my life, I've wanted to walk the path of a witcher. I want to live in the wilderness, tracking down monsters, and helping folk who need it. I've wanted to be a witcher ever since I first met Geralt."

"Why is that you want to be a witcher?"

She took a moment to think. "I'm not sure...I've never really thought about it...but I think it's because of the freedom. You see...I know I might not look it, but I'm actually the heiress to the largest empire in the world."

"You're a queen?" I said, doing my best not to sound like a bad extra.

"I am," she said, with no hint of a smile. "And all my life I've been dragged around by people who expect me to fulfil my duty. I've lost count of the number of men I've been promised to...my grandmother shoved me from one place to another before I finally ran away when I was much younger. Then I met Geralt, and...it was a kind of life I'd never even dreamed of before. Doing what I want, when I want, not having all of the bloody responsibility, not having to kiss the asses of everyone on the Imperial Court. Just me, and the path."

I smiled at her. "We have a phrase for what you want in my world."

"Oh? And what phrase might that be?"

"Hakuna matata."

"And what does that mean?" she said, giggling slightly at the funny phonetics.

"It means, 'no worries." And yes, dear reader, I did in fact deign to serenade her with a few choice lines from the song in question.

"_Hakuna matata  
What a wonderful phrase  
Hakuna matata  
_'_Ain't no passing craze_

"_It means no worries  
For the rest of your days  
It's our problem-free  
Philosophy.  
Hakuna matata."_

She laughed, more in delight than in humor, and clapped her hands. "Bravo, bravo," she said.

I bowed my head to show my appreciation. "Of course, fighting monsters isn't all hakuna matata. Dangerous business."

"Only if you're bad at it," Ciri said confidently, a slight swagger in her step as she climbed over a fallen log.

I laughed, amused by her opinion of herself. "Not too cocky, are you?"

"I can look after myself," she said, just little defensively.

Afraid I had offended her, I put my hands up and said, "I don't doubt it. You've killed a hell of a lot more monsters than I have."

"And how many is that exactly?"

"A full negative zero," I said.

As we made our way over the roots of a titanic kapok, the wall of solid green switched abruptly to light peach. A grove of peculiar plants sprouted from the forest floor, ranging anywhere from 4 to 20 feet tall. They were shaped like spiraling corkscrews, with flesh that looked soft and supple, and was colored a light orange. Along the edges of the spirals were feathery tufts that added to the overall delicate look of the plants.

"Patrick," she said, looking in amazement at the magnificent flowers, "Do you know what these are?"

As a matter of fact, I did. "They're called helicordians. They're carnivorous zoo-plants."

Upon hearing that they were carnivorous, Ciri's demeanor changed. She straightened up, took a step back, and held her hand up toward the hilt of her sword. "Are they dangerous?"

I had forgotten for a moment that 'carnivorous plant' meant something very different where she came from. "Oh no," I said quickly, "they only feed on insects and other small animals. Here, watch this," I said, reaching out toward one. The instant the very tip of my finger made contact with the gossamer orange flesh of the flower, the whole 18 foot plant spiraled inward and downward, recoiling and shrinking into a small stem at its base.

Ciri flinched at the sudden motion, and then laughed in yet more delight at the whimsical flowers. "Extraordinary!" she said, putting her hand on her chin.

"When they sense an insect land on the inside of the spiral, they retract, trapping it inside a bladder filled with digestive enzymes underground," I said.

In reality, no such plant exists, not on earth at any rate. You might find them in the planetary system of our closest stellar neighbor - Alpha Centauri. There might be a gigantic blue gas giant, reminiscent of our Jupiter, orbiting the stars in that binary system. And among the dozens of moons orbiting that gas giant, there might be one that is green and blue, covered in oceans and continents dominated by tropical forests not unlike the one Ciri and I were in. You might find helicoridans there, except you won't because that moon doesn't exist. It's called Pandora, and it exists only in the film, _Avatar_. Helicordians were every bit as real as Ciri was.

Ciri reached for one of the spiraling flowers to test it's feeding mechanism for herself. It didn't disappoint. She continued this in a moment of childlike fascination at the animated plants. The entire grove must have sensed the harassment, as one by one they began to retract into their stems. Eventually the whole grove had disappeared.

When it did, a hideous, screeching snarl blast across the spot where the grove had stood and assaulted our ears. The receding helicoridans revealed the presence of a thin, gangrel creature a full 7 feet tall at the shoulder. It supported itself on long, muscular limbs, the front two being longer than the back. Its skin was dull, bluish-grey and fully naked of any fur, hair, scales, or feathers. Turning its enormous, bulbous skull toward us, we saw that there were no eyes. Instead, there were three holes in the center of its face, arranged along the points of a triangle. Below these holes, its jaws quivered and drooled, and sharp, needle-like teeth grew from its lipless mouth. The creature twitched frantically as it stood in place, poised to leap forward at us at any second.

"Shit!" Ciri hissed, pulling out her sword and assuming a fighting stance in one fluid motion. The creature didn't like that: it sprung forward with great power and speed at us, raising its right hand and baring two long fingers tipped in curved claws. I dived to my right, awkwardly bawling over one of the kapok's roots like a waist-high wall of wood. Colliding face first with the ground, my body flipped over, and I landed on my back with a course gasp.

Ciri's next move was far more elegant. She vanished in another blink of blue light, the creature landing on an empty spot where we had been standing not a second earlier. I struggled to roll over onto my side so I could stand back up. The fanged maw of the creature rose up from behind the root as it crawled up over it, 'looking' at me with a face that had no eyes. Though my first emotional reaction was pure terror, this was joined by another sensation: a headache. I felt a throbbing tingle in my head, as a steady stream of...something was hitting against my body. At the same time, a rapid series of high-pitched clicks emanated from the beast.

It raised one of its sweeping arms, preparing to slash at me with two huge claws. But before it could strike, Ciri reappeared right behind it, sword poised to strike. She called out, "HYAHH!" as she brought the blade sweeping across its lower back. As the steel hit its mark, the creature let out a horrible shriek, catapulting itself with all four limbs up high onto the kapok's trunk. Almost like some kind of simian spider, it crawled with great agility around the trunk, disappearing from sight.

Only to drop from fifty feet above right on top of Ciri. The move was so fast that Ciri couldn't even realize what was happening until the creature had her pinned to the ground. Before it could take a savage bite out of her throat, she once more vanished. Caught off guard, the monster spun around wildly as it struggled to understand what had just happened. Ciri reappeared in a blue flash right in front of the creature, swiping at it with her sword so that it streaked right across its face. The blow sent it stumbling backwards several feet, yet there was no sign of a mark where the blade at hit - no gashes, cuts, or scratches.

Ciri danced like a firefly around the vicious predator, flickering from one point to the next to deliver powerful blows from every angle. But no matter how hard she hit, or where on the creature's body she targeted, the sword never seemed to make any real impact on it. Not a drop of its blood had escaped from an open wound. And though the creature lacked Ciri's teleportation abilities, it was no slouch in the speed department. It's reflexes made a cats' look like those of a tortoise, and it darted from one spot to another so quickly, I could scarcely follow it with my eyes. It was also, evidently, a fast learner. The novelty of Ciri's vanishing act wore off, and it began to anticipate her return once she'd disappeared. Finally, it's combination of keen senses and rapid reflexes paid off. As Ciri reappeared to take another swipe at it, the creature got her with a slash of its claws, the force of the blow so strong that it sent her flying through the air, colliding with a nearby luganda tree. I could practically hear the wind being knocked out of her as her back smashed into the bark, and she landed like a limp doll onto a grove of tender ferns.

The creature didn't wait for her to recover before springing its next attack. With a mere two bounds it was upon her, leaning down and sinking its pointed fangs into her shoulder. She cried out in pain as the beast shook her violently with her shoulder gripped in its jaws. Her agonized screams struck me like a sudden jolt of electricity. It suddenly dawned on me that I was not simply a helpless spectator, at least not if I chose so. I looked next to where the predator had her pinned, and saw her steel sword lying against a mossy rocky. Then I looked back to the predator, and saw that it was so focused on Ciri that it had completely forgotten me.

I made a decision that I don't think I would ever make if not for that cocktail of hormones and chemicals that typifies the 'flight or fight' response. For Ciri's sake - if not my own - I chose fight. I rushed forward, picking up her sword as I charged mindlessly toward the pair. I held the sword out in front of me, hoping that the forward momentum of my weight would be enough to drive the point of the blade in between its ribs. I cried out with a guttural grunt before making contact. The blade didn't slide into the side of the animal as I had hoped; instead, it slid upward over the predator's back, leaving a shallow cut that nevertheless, was able to draw a small amount of blood.

The predator responded automatically, turning in place with one of its arms held close to its chest . With one fluid motion, the arm snapped forward and struck me with the back of its hand. I was thrown off my feet and spun around once crashing back onto the forest floor. I felt the monster crouching over me before I could see it. I turned over on my side, my entire field of vision engulfed by its otherworldly face. Drops of viscous saliva dropped onto my face as it opened its jaws. I got an exclusive look at the dark pink inside of its mouth - gums, tongue, palate - as it prepared to slam those spike-like fangs right through my face.

Thankfully, before that could happen, a tremendous force exploded from off to the left, blasting the ferocious creature off of me, tumbling into the leaf litter. Looking up, I saw Geralt standing about 30 feet away, his feet in a ready stance, his arm thrust forward with fingers outstretched. He had used one of his basic spells - the witcher signs - to knock the predator off of me. Then he reached up for the right sword swung over his back.

As he did, I cried out as loudly as I could, though there was barely any air left in my lungs. "No Geralt," I said, "Not silver, steel! Use the steel one!"

"What do you-" he began, only to be cut off as the creature returned to its feet, snarling furiously. Geralt heeded my advice and switched to the left sword, drawing it up out of its sheath and holding it in both hands. The creature leaped forward with the gait of a great ape. Before it reached him, Geralt cast another sign: the shield, quen. Streaks of orange like whisked around him, just in time for the monster to meet Geralt where he stood. A blast of orange light forced Geralt to awkwardly stumble backwards a few steps, but the shield had effectively stopped the assault of the predator. It was thrown backwards away from Geralt. As it tried to get back to its feet, a great ball of fire materialized from the forest air and enveloped the beast for a brief moment.

I looked back to where Geralt was, and saw that he was joined by Triss, who was also poised to attack, holding a blazing fire in her fingers.

The creature shook its head a few times as it clambered back to its feet, looking at both Geralt and Triss. Then it turned and saw Ciri back on her feet, holding the sword which I had dropped when I tried to stab it. It stood in place, hissing and growling at the three of them before taking a few steps back, and then turned around and bounded off into the depths of the jungle.

We all waited a good long while before we allowed ourselves to feel relieved, lest it should lay an ambush. When it finally looked as though the attack was over, everyone relaxed. Geralt and Ciri sheathed their swords, and the fire in Triss' hand was extinguished. Geralt and Triss rushed over to Ciri, and that's when I noticed the blood staining her blouse. She held the gash left by the predator's slashes as a few drops of blood splattered the ferns beside her.

"You okay?" Geralt asked.

"I'll be fine," she said, "Just give me some time. Those claws were sharp. Don't worry about me, worry about Patrick. He hasn't got any Elder blood."

Triss put her arm around Ciri's shoulder to help her stand, while Geralt made his way over to me. I was still kneeling at this point, so he offered me a hand, which I accepted. "You okay?"

"A bit bruised...and sore...but fine otherwise," I said, looking at the dirt covering my clothes on the spots where I'd made impact with the ground. Many places on my body were still quite tender, and I did my best not to move unnecessarily.

"Thanks for the save back there, Patrick," Ciri said, smiling at me. "I owe you,"

"No, we're even," I said. "You saved me first, remember?"

"Oh right, true enough," Ciri said. I looked at Geralt and saw that he was smiling at me for the first time. It was small and faint - witchers aren't knowing for being overly expressive - but it was there. It dawned on me that, upon hearing that I had done something to save Ciri, his opinion of me must have increased dramatically.

Triss spoke next. "What the hell was that thing?"

"Don't know," Geralt said. "Looked a bit like a garkain at first, but i've never seen anything quite like it."

"Patrick?" Ciri asked.

There were two possible answers I could have given that would have been honest and true. I could have told them that it was an animal from the future - a giant, flightless, predatory bat from millions of years after the extinction of humankind. Or I could have told them that it was a creature from the British science fiction television series, _Primeval_, which first aired from 2007 - 2009. Ultimately, I decided to go with the former because it was easier, and because I wanted to stay as far away as possible from the fact that some of the beings in this place were entirely fictional.

"Shit," Geralt said, "creatures from the past, the future. From different worlds. What the hell kind of place is this?"

"It feels like it makes less sense the more we discover," Triss said, putting up her hands.

"It's as if this place is some kind of intersection," Ciris said, "A place where different living things from across all time and space exist simultaneously."

"Hmm...strange, " Geralt said, looking at me.

"What?" I asked.

"It feels like a disproportionate number of these things are from your world. We haven't seen anything from ours yet."

"That is strange," Triss said.

They were right. I interpreted the details in a different context of course, but Geralt was right: all of these things had some kind of connection, however tenuous, to me. The _Witcher III_ is my all time favorite video-game, and it's characters are some of my favorite in all of fiction. Paleontology and zoology are my absolute all time-greatest passions in life, and here there lived specimens from millions of years in the past. Even elements from things like _Avatar_ or _Primeval_ \- pieces of media which I enjoy, for their creatures if not for their compelling characters and deep, original storylines. It did seem strange - even in a place where strange things happened hourly - that all of these things could be related to me: my games, my shows, my movies, my passions..it could have just been a coincidence, but it was uncanny nonetheless…

"Oh well, no use wondering about things on an empty stomach," Ciri said, having almost completely recovered from the slashes. `Did you guys find anything for breakfast?"

"I got water," Triss said, holding up a canteen.

"And I got..well, not sure what it is. I think it's some kind of weasel," Geralt said, reaching around the back of his waist and picking up a small animal that had been dangling limply from its tail. The whole thing was about 20 inches long, and had a long body and tiny feet. The tail was also quite long and relatively thick. Most striking of all was its head, which was disproportionately huge compared to the rest of the animal.

I was instantly struck by the animal's appearance. "Can I see that, please?" I asked. Geralt handed it to me, and I examined it closely. I pulled back its muzzle to reveal a set of rodent-like front teeth. I fingered the fur at the back of its head, and couldn't find any ear flaps. I grinned. "Oh this is no weasel! In fact, in the technical sense, it isn't even a mammal!"

"What? Come on, just look at it," Geralt said plainly. "It's not exactly a fish."

"True enough," I said, "But this is a tritylodontid- an ancient relative of the first mammals. Based on the proportions, I'd say this is _Oligokyphus_ from the Early Jurassic of North America."

"'Relative of mammals?' What does that mean?" Geralt said, rolling his shoulders.

"Well, it lacks some of the specialized features of mammals. For example, it has no external ear flaps, and it lays eggs with large clutch sizes of up to forty babies!" And then, somewhat inexplicably..I started laughing. I mean really laughing, as if seized by some kind of fit. The fit was so prominent that Triss and Ciri started to giggle as well, not because anything was particularly funny, but because it was just so infectious.

"What's so funny?" Ciri asked.

"Nothing's 'funny' exactly, it's just...we only learned about the large clutch sizes of tritylodontids last week! We knew nothing about their reproductive biology, and then an amazing new specimen is discovered with the fragmented remains of about 38 offspring...and now I'm looking at an actual living- well, okay, not living exactly, but a recently-living _Oligokyphus_! It's just...wonderful!"

"Well, get ready to solve another important mystery about them," Geralt said,

"What's that?"

"How they taste."

As it happens, _Oligokyphus _meat is extremely gamey, and only barely palatable thanks to some spices that Triss kept on her person. Still, it was hot and full, and therefore the best damn thing I could remember eating for some time. It went well with the spring water, wild berries, and eggs that we'd managed to collect. In addition to the elderberries, we had managed to find a few other wild berries and fruits to supplement the tritylodontid meat, including a few paw paw fruits. We'd also managed to collect a few more eggs, mostly from birds, but also from two large lizards, one of which I identified as an argentine black and white tegu. When washed down with the fresh spring water which Triss had gathered, it wasn't a bad breakfast.

"Okay, down to business," Geralt said, "If that future predator was any indication, then there are some damn dangerous creatures out there. We can't just keep wandering around aimlessly."

"Agreed," Triss said. "Geralt and I were talking, and we have an idea. If we can scale one of the taller trees, maybe we can get our bearings from there, maybe even see some kind of landmark - a city or something."

"Good idea," Ciri said. "I take it I'll be the one to make the climb?"

"Well, you would be the fastest," Triss said.

"Oh very well, if I must," Ciri said, pretending it bothered her.

Once we were finished eating, we found the tallest tree we could find - a red wood. Ciri couldn't teleport immediately to the top because she couldn't see that far up (she explained that she needed to visualize a location before being able to teleport there). Taking the trek in short bursts, she teleported up the side of the red wood bit by bit before finally reaching the top. She stayed there for about a minute or so before returning to where we stood.

"Finally," Geralt said in mock annoyance. "What took you so long?"

"We don't all have such excellent senses, Geralt," Ciri said with a mischievous smile. "It's mostly all just more forest up there – tree tops as far as the eye can see. But…" she paused for dramatic effect, "there is something out there."

Rolling his eyes, Geralt said, "Out with it."

"Some way Northeast of here, there's a tree – a gigantic tree, thousands of feet tall!" she said.

Geralt gave her a somewhat incredulous look. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely!" she said intensely, showing the first true traces of genuine insult. "It's huge, big as a mountain. It looked like the old oak on the top of bald mountain, only in full bloom. But that's not all," she said, "all around the tree there were shapes floating and buzzing around it. From this distance they looked like flies, but I'm sure they're much bigger up close."

"What do you think they are?" Triss asked.

"Flying ships, I'm pretty sure," she said. "I've seen flying ships in my travels before, though none that were shaped like these. There were many different kinds."

"Hmm…I want to have look," Geralt said,

"Alright," Ciri said, holding out her hand.

Geralt shook his head, "Nope. You know how I feel about teleporting. I'll just climb the tree myself."

"Oh come on," Ciri said, her arms flopping by her sides. "That could take hours. I don't know about Triss and Patrick, but I'm not quite that patient."

"Well, I-" I began, only to be cut off. Ciri leaned in and pulled me close to her. She did the same thing with Geralt and Triss. As I realized what she was about to do, I felt a strange sense of warmth begin to grow within my body. A feeling of hot, tingly pressure pushed against my skin, and then a tremendous flash of blue light filled my eyes. Before the flash could fade completely, I felt the ground disappear from beneath my feet. I kicked my legs in a sudden, panicked search for grounding, and found a thick tree branch to fill the position.

As my eyes finally adjusted to my new surroundings, I found that all four of us were now nearly 300 feet off the ground, in the midst of a thick collection of needle-covered branches. I looked around, and saw nothing but the endless expanse of dark green treetops spreading out for miles. They rolled like waves over hills and valleys, all the way toward a sky that was richly blue as the sun reached the point of high noon. I heard Ciri say something from behind me, and when I turned I saw it. Ciri had not been exaggerating its size in the least. It made all of the other trees around it, even 300 foot redwoods and kapoks, look like blades of grass in its shadow. It didn't have much of a trunk; huge limbs grew from its bottom, winding and branching into massive bushels full of green leaves All around, like little buzzing flies, were the ships Ciri had mentioned. It was too far away for me to identify them, but I could see that more were approaching from all directions.

We were all silent for a few moments. I simply sat there in the top of the tree with my mouth hanging low. Geralt was the one to break the silence at last. "Patrick – do you recognize this tree?"

"Huh?" I said, forgetting for a moment where I was, and indeed, who I was. "Oh, uh… no, I don't think so. I mean… I saw something kinda like this in a dream once."

I said it in a very nonchalant sort of way, but Geralt, Ciri, and Triss thought that it was very important. "You dreamed this?" Ciri asked. "When?"

"I don't know. I don't really keep track of my dreams," I said. "Might have been… a few months ago? Maybe years for all I know. But I can't even remember if it's the same tree."

"Try to remember," Geralt said. "Dreams can be very important."

I shrugged and said, "I'll do my best, but I'm not sure it'll be of much help."

"Maybe," Geralt said. "But we can't overlook any possible clues. Don't discount that dream just yet."

I swallowed nervously, and nodded once.

"Enough chatter," Ciri said, "come on, let's get to it." She put a hand on Geralt's shoulder, and another on Triss'. "Patrick," she said, "Put your hand on Geralt's shoulder." I obeyed

It took a few moments for Ciri to do it. She stared at the spot where the tree rose up over the valley, no doubt pinpointing it in her mind. Teleporting three other people such a long distance must have taken a great deal of her strength, especially compared to the 'cheap tricks' she'd performed earlier.. Nonetheless, after less than half a minute, that same hot tingling filled my body, and the treetops vanished from sight with a blink of blue light.

Before the light even faded from view, my ears were filled with the noisy chatter of hundreds, if not thousands of people all gathered together nearby. I turned toward the source of the noise, first seeing the expected crowd. People were clumped together into small groups or camps, numbering anywhere from two to several dozen. All races, all genders, all ages were present…and then some. Looking more carefully at the crowd, I noticed that not all of the people were actually…well, people. That is to say, they weren't all, strictly speaking, human. There was a young latinx pair sitting next to what was assuredly an 8 foot tall salamander dressed in a black and yellow suit and mask. Not all were quite this striking – I might have missed the elves, for example. They were easy to mistake for mere mortals, at least at a first, distant glance. But there was something about the way they moved in their draping, flowing robes that betrayed an uncanny elegance. The dwarves were easier to make out, being short and stout in stature, and bearing full, bushy beards.

Beyond the throngs of people and non-people was the tree. But the tree didn't grow straight up from the ground. We couldn't see it from afar, but the tree sprouted from an immense rock formation rising up from underground, and piercing the fading sky like great black spears. Tall crystals of dark, dense rock spread out like the halls and towers of a castle. Paleontology may be my primary interest, but you don't spend as much time studying prehistoric animals as I do without learning a fair bit about rocks as well. So to my amateur eyes, this looked most like basalt. In addition, the ships that we had seen rushed overhead this way and that, though no longer looking like flies. Some looked little different from airplanes, while others ranged from cigar, sphere, or saucer shaped forms.

"It almost looks like some kind of giant refugee camp," Triss said. "Everyone here looks like they've been displaced."

"Because they probably were," Geralt said, his arms crossed. "How much you wanna bet that most, if not all of these people got here the same way we did?"

"You mean, unceremoniously dumped here from wherever they originally were while sleeping two nights back?" I conjectured.

"Hey!" Ciri said all of a sudden, pointing out toward the crowd, "What'd you reckon that is?"

I followed her finger to a spot under the tree where a mass of different beings had all grouped close together. It was the largest concentration we could see, and also looked to be the most active. I put my hand on my brow to shield my vision from the glare of the sun. "Looks like a mob...or a conference...maybe both?"

"Could just ask," Geralt said. He looked around briefly to find some random person to ask around. He settled on a short man dressed in a petticoat indicative of the regency with a wig of curly black hair. "Excuse me."

The man turned around, and I nearly burst out laughing when I saw the wide set eyes, beak-like nose, and squat face of Rowan Atkinson. He was dressed as the character of Mr. E Blackadder from the television show of the same name. "Yes what do you want?" he asked before getting a good look at the tall, imposing frame of Geralt of Rivia.

"Don't suppose you can tell us what that crowd over there is doing?" Geralt asked.

"Yes, I suppose I could," the man said. This is when I fully realized that this wasn't Atkinson, but the actual character of Blackadder come to life.

He gave no other answer than this, and the rest of us exchanged expectant looks. "Uh...you gonna tell us, or…?"

"Well now, that's another matter altogether, isn't it?" Blackadder said, in that smug, scathing voice with all the dryness of the Sahara. "I could tell you yes, but if you want me to, it'll cost you. Five pounds."

"Five pounds of what?" Triss asked, her hands on her hips.

"Five pounds of toe-nail clippings," Blackadder said in his most ironic voice. "What do you think I mean? Five pounds currency."

Geralt had had enough. He held up his hand and made three signs with his fingers. When he did, a faint cloud of white mist appeared over Blackadder's face, and the sharpness of his eyes dulled considerably. "Don't like your tone," Geralt said, "Now talk. And be polite"

In a half dazed voice, Blackadder said, "Of course, sir. The gathering by the forked crystal is made of various individuals representing a variety of different beings. They are attempting to exchange information in the hopes of determining how we have all come to be in this place."

"What have they figured out?" Triss asked.

"Not much," Blackadder said, "All they've been able to agree on is that everyone here woke up in this world yesterday morning, having gone to sleep somewhere entirely different."

"That's it?" Triss said. "They don't know anything that we don't."

"Maybe not," I said, "But still, I'd be very curious to know just who's part of that group. That in and of itself might provide some kind of insight."

"Good point," Geralt said. He turned back to Blackadder. "Thanks. Next time, try not to extort strangers for basic information."

"Yes, very good advice," Blackadder said with a bow of his head.

We made our way toward the concentrated throngs, and all the while I was forced to consider the ever more obvious fact that there wasn't a single thing in this entire world that I had been unable to identify. It was an absolutely confounding mixture of elements that had little, if anything, to do with each other apart from the fact that I knew them, or at least _of_ them. _The Witcher_, _Avatar_, _Primeval_, and now _Blackadder_ \- all pieces of media that I am quite familiar with. And what exactly are the odds that someone who is completely and utterly obsessed with paleontology would suddenly find themselves in a world filled with dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures? This we becoming increasingly impossible to write off as a coincidence. I didn't know what, but this meant something. It was important.

This feature was only reinforced to a ludicrous degree as we moved through the scattered camps all around the tree. I found that, at least among the human members, there wasn't a single person in this gathering that I didn't recognize by face and name, with varying levels of familiarity. There were family members, all distant, from both my mother's and father's side. There were classmates from all levels of school and college. There were co workers, both current and former. I could even recognize the most seemingly random and insignificant figures from past experiences in life – a fellow museum volunteer from my teens, or someone I went to summer camp with in 5th grade.

In addition, there were celebrities from A-Z, political figures who spanned the spectrum from unrepentantly evil to…potentially-repentantly evil. More fictional characters could be seen as well. I saw Kramer from _Seinfeld_, one of the Hogwarts professors (couldn't remember the name), a group of the Dora Milaje from _Black Panther_, and Robert Muldoon from _Jurassic Park_. I also noted a fair few of the people I follow on Social Media, and unless I was mistaken, I could have sworn I saw Othniel Charles Marsh, the founder of the Peabody Museum of Natural History and a well-known paleontologist from the 19th century. And yes, even that anthropomorphic salamander was known to me (he's the main character of a web comic that I read called _The Black Mudpuppy_). I didn't mention any of this to Ciri, Geralt, or Triss. Things were confusing enough as it was.

It was profoundly disturbing to be in a place which housed a collection of so many things that were known to me. But another important dimension to this was that, surely, I must have been the only person to whom ALL of these things were relevant. Tons of people play the _Witcher_ games/read the _Witcher_ books, but the number of people who play the _Witcher_ games/read the books and watch _Blackadder_ is most likely much smaller. And the number of people who play/read _Witcher_, watch _Blackadder_, AND read _The Black Mudpuppy_?

We made it to the crowd. It was an exceptionally diverse gathering, though the many different groups that comprised it were heavily sorted and self-segregated, mostly on the basis of species. Troops of great apes, who signed their intentions with their hands, stood alongside the ten-foot tall, blue-bandied Na'vi. Across from them were tribes of Yautja - the mandibled, dread-locked antagonists of the _Predator _series of films, who stood side by side with bright-green, scaly-skinned, humanoid lizards called Silurians. The morphological disparity exhibited by the crowd was nothing short of stupendous.

The only downside to having so many beings gathered together was that it made it very difficult for us to see or hear what was going on. In the end, we had to have Ciri teleport us through the crowd to the center, where an open space was cleared away for any who wished to address the crowd directly.

At that moment, there was a lone Yautja pacing around the edges of the space. Though the yautja are, on average, about seven feet tall, this one was much shorter at 'only' about 6'4''.. He was every bit as robust and heavily built as his kinsman, and was covered in their characteristic yellow skin, speckled with dark brown spots. He wasn't nearly as well-armored though, lacking the overlapping metal plates over the chest, arms, and legs. He also lacked all of the mounted weapons on his forearms and belt. However, he was dressed in their typically minimalist fashion, wearing nothing but fish nets over his body, save for a white cloth over his privates.

I was surprised to find he was speaking in perfect English, though in a growling, gurgling voice. "We are all agreed, at last, that we are not all of one world. Though we may not know in which ways our various worlds coexist, or overlap, we can at least be sure that our various histories, religions, and ecologies are not all congruent. Now, the soft meat," he said, pointing toward the humans, " claim to have seen beasts from their ancient past, a fact that is confirmed by our records of their planet's history. Yet why have none of the rest of us seen such creatures from our own words' respective pasts?" he asked the crowd, generating much murmuring from the rest. "Yes, it seems their planet's entire prehistory has been brought to bear here, but let any one of us speak up if our worlds' prehistoric creatures have also been seen!" The murmurs grew louder. "This, to me, seems reason to suspect them of these strange matters."

There seemed to be a lot of agreement among many of the species, though the humans mostly shook their heads, with some even booing him. Yet it wasn't a human who spoke up, but instead a Silurian. These intelligent, humanoid lizards were from the television series, _Doctor Who_. Not aliens, the Silurians were every bit as terrestrial as we are. They had been the owners of the earth at some point in its distant prehistory, only to retreat into hibernation to avoid an oncoming catastrophe. This particular Silurian was a very typical member of the species physically. Overall, she was shaped like a person, though she lacked the breasts that a human female might have. Her skin was covered in overlapping, brilliant-green scales like mail from the tips of her fingers all the way to the three pointed crests growing from her skull. Her nose was flat, and she had no lips.

She said, "Once again, you are making the mistake of equating 'earthling' with 'human!'" She spoke in a tired voice that seemed to imply that this point had been made at least several times before, maybe even by she herself. "Earth is every bit our home as it is the apes'," she said with a casual flick of her head toward us, "If the presence of all of Earth's evolutionary past is your sole reason for condemning them, then you have just as much – that is to say, as little – reason to condemn us as well!"

But the Yautja was not to be dissuaded. "A conspiracy then," he said, standing firm. "Can it be ruled out that you plotted this together?"

"Yes, it can!" she spat back in frustration. "Our two species are separated by tens of millions of years, and neither of us have achieved the means to time travel! More to the point, what purpose would be served by such a venture? What would either of us have to gain? Isn't it obvious that we are every bit as victims of this as the rest of you?" Once more, the crowd broke out into mixed conversation. At the very least, the outspoken Yautja was outspoken no longer.

"Quite right!"

A very familiar, Scottish voice called from somewhere along the edges of the circle. I turned in astonishment in its direction to find exactly who I expected to find, and I do mean _who_. He was a tall man, long-legged and dressed in dark pants and coat. His gray hair was wild and unkempt, and his bushy eyebrows sat sternly over his hooked nose. This was the Doctor- the eponymous protagonist of _Doctor Who._ Long had I followed his varying exploits, in all of his various incarnations (the show is over half a century old, after all). Indeed, this was the 12th doctor, and the most recent as of the writing of this account, though his first-ever female replacement has since taken his place. The sight of his weary, bloodshot eyes, and the sound of his gruff, rolling Scottish voice lifted my spirits immensely. If there was any single person who I trusted to fix this cosmological clusterfuck, it was the Doctor.

He spoke confidently as he strode to the center, addressing both the Yautja and the Silurian. "So perhaps we can get over this nasty and silly business of blaming each other, and get back to the business of working together, shall we?" I saw many nods from most of the species around me. "Now, looking around, it appears as though a few more have joined our little knitting club," he said, looking around the group. I could have sworn our eyes met at one point, but I am just as easily flattering myself. "So, let's go over all of the facts that we've established so far." Grumbles rang out from many, most likely those who had been there longest, and neither needed nor wanted another recap.

"So far as we can tell," the Doctor began, amidst the complaining, "The Na'vi were the first to arrive at the tree." He pointed to the ten foot blue humanoids, staring at him silently with large, yellow, lemur-like eyes. "They first came here two days ago, just three miles from the South. After them were the ents, then the Silurians, the prawns, the apes, the Eosapiens, the Oood, the Yautja, the Avisapiens…after them, too many came too quickly to keep track, and more are still arriving even as we speak," he said, gesturing to the ships circling over us all. "But no matter the species, no matter when they first awoke, the story is the same: everyone went to sleep, wherever or whenever they happened to be in time and space, only to wake up here, in the middle of the jungle. The stars don't match any known patterns observed anywhere in the universe. Astronomical observations are inconsistent: the number of suns in the sky varies from one to three depending on the day, and no less than 18 different known planets have been identified appearing in the sky. Time travel to the past beyond two days is impossible, while time travel to the future, though possible, is dangerous and unstable beyond a few days. Despite the fact that many of us are biochemically incompatible, all of us can breathe the air, which has the same gaseous composition as early 21st century earth."

"How much of that did you understand?" Geralt asked all three of us.

"Not much," Triss said simply.

"Sounds like Offeri to me," Ciri said. I said nothing.

"I would add," said another voice, "that I sense no dark power at work here, and though much of what is said is beyond my understanding, of this I am sure: no ill will yet makes itself known here to me."

As with everything in this world, I recognized this voice too, and like the voice of the Doctor, it filled me with hope. A man – or so it looked – moved beside the Doctor. He was dressed entirely in a grey cloak, and his ancient eyes peered out of a face mostly hidden by a great silver beard. Atop his head there was a tall, wide-brimmed blue hat, and he walked carrying a wooden staff.

"Gandalf!" I whispered to myself. It was Gandalf, a migrant from the legendarium of J. R. R. Tolkien. If you don't know that he is a wizard, powerful and good-hearted, then you need to read more Tolkien ( or watch more movies at least).

"Uh, yes," the Doctor said, looking at Gandalf, "Good point, well said." It sounded as if the Doctor didn't altogether know what Gandalf meant by this

I figured that these facts marked the beginning of a circle wherein the situation would be surmised, and then creatures would step forward to offer different perspectives and hypotheses. A few more representatives from different species came up after this to offer their perspective, and it soon became plain to me just why they hadn't arrived at any especially new or definitive conclusions. There were so many fundamentally conflicting points of view that bickering was inevitable. The Na'vi would speak of their goddess, Eywa, and how she protects the balance of life, only for a talking orangutan to ask what business does the goddess of their world have to do with this one. The Eosapiens were barely comprehensible, as their way of thinking was so truly alien that everything they said came across as a non sequitur. There might have been some logic in it if anyone had the patience to try and discern it, but they were all clearly tired. And who could blame them? The sky had by then faded from blue to orange to red passing into violet. Eventually, a bitter quarrel between Caesar, the leader of the apes, and Thranduil, the king of the elves of Mirkwood, had to be broken up by Gandalf with a crack and a flash of light from his staff.

"Enough!" the wizard cried. "We have all enemies aplenty, gathering among themselves no doubt, even as we speak. We have no cause to make enemies of each other, and we would be wise to make friends instead!"

"Yes," the Doctor said, clearly exhausted himself. "But perhaps it would be best to call it a day. A few hearty meals, and a good night's sleep will do us all some good."

"I agree," Gandalf said with a sigh. "More may yet reveal itself in the night."

"Right then, you heard the wizard," the Doctor said, waving us all way. "Go on now, away with you. You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here."

Slowly, the collection of creatures began to disband, each one turning around and wandering off to their own little corner to discuss the proceedings amongst themselves. The Doctor hung back to exchange words with Gandalf for a little while, but he then made his way to his TARDIS, which was parked not too far away, next to a group of intelligent, bird-like dinosaurs. My apologies to those already familiar with all of these, but context is key. So for those of you who don't know – the TARDIS is the Doctor's spaceship/time machine. From the outside, it appears as a 1960s blue, British police call-box. But its inside is vast and cavernous.

"Well that was a waste of time," Geralt said gruffly.

"If anything, it feels like we know less than ever," Triss said, rolling her eyes slightly.

"Come on, " Geralt said, waving us off, "might as well find some place to set up camp."

"Huh?" I said, still staring at the TARDIS, "Oh, uh...yeah sure, hey listen, uh….I have something I want to discuss with the Doctor, would you mind if I catch up with you guys later on?"

"Oh, can I come with you?" Ciri asked.

"Sure," I said, "Why, is there something you wanted to ask him?"

"Nothing in particular, was just...curious about something."

I shrugged. "Fair enough. We'll meet up with you two when we're finished," I said, turning to Triss and Geralt.

"Sure, but how will you find us?" Triss asked.

"...Oh, good point…" I said, suddenly realizing that, between the low light and teeming masses, finding a small camp of two would be downright impossible (if that word still meant anything anyway).

"Don't worry," Geralt said, "I'll come get you. Witcher senses."

"Right, yes," I said with a nod, "Thanks."

The two of them headed Eastways, past about a dozen dwarves. Fighting our way upstream of the dispersing crowd, we came to the TARDIS. I raised my hand to knock at the door, only to pause for a moment. Though my love for it has lessened in recent seasons, there was a time when _Doctor Who_ was my all-time favorite TV show, and standing there, mere inches from the actual TARDIS felt truly wonderful. I smiled as I recalled all the places and times that it had been, with all of the amazing people who'd been inside it. I didn't cry… but I would be lying if I said I didn't give a few sniffles. Ciri did her best not to stare. Eventually though, I did bring myself to give three loud knocks. I spent a year as a pizza delivery driver, in which time I learned the proper amount of time to wait before knocking twice. When that time passed, I knocked again, harder. Still nothing.

I had a feeling that this was intentional on his part. Daring to be bold, I reached forward and grabbed the door handle, pushing against it. Ciri started to giggle. "What's so funny?" I asked, turning back to look at her.

"The sign," she said, pointing to a small sign posted on the front of the door, "It says pull to open."

I actually laughed as well. "Yeah, I know. But it's wrong, trust me. The doors open inwards."

Or rather, they would if they weren't locked, which wasn't exactly the biggest surprise of the day. I pushed again, harder this time. I wasn't expecting it to actually open, just hoping that the sound of someone trying to force their way inside might at least get the Doctor's attention. When I was still left standing outside the door like an idiot, I decided to try something else. I stepped back a few paces and held up my fingers to the level of the door. Putting my middle finger against my thumb, I snapped.

Still nothing.

Ciri gave me a strange look "Eh, it was a long shot," I said with a casual shrug.

I went back over to the door, pushing it several times with great force before coming to a stop, and resting my forehead against the wooden door. I closed my eyes and sighed. "Look," I said, whispering, "I don't know if you can hear me….could very well just be talking to a hunk of wood right now… but if you can hear me, please…please let me in. You always look after him…you always take him to where he needs to go, you said so yourself damnit…please…trust me…"

As I was preparing to take my forehead off the door, I felt myself falling forward as it creaked inward. Quickly leaning back to keep from landing flat on my face, I looked up to see the Doctor standing there, looking at me. His mouth was slightly open, in a way that might look dim witted on any other man, but looked strangely contemplative on him. He looked down at my shoes, then back to my face. Then he looked past me to Ciri, examining her with a similar expression "Come inside," he said simply and quietly.

He disappeared into the shadow of the great ship inside, leaving me standing outside in the coming night. I turned back to look at Ciri, who just tossed her arms slightly at her sides in a gesture of confused uncertainty. His grouchy voice called from out of the door, "Inside! Now!" I followed without question and with Ciri in two.

Passing through the threshold of the TARDIS, I looked up to see the ceiling high above the top of the doorway. The inside stretched far beyond the walls of the box outside, into a dimly-lit circular room. In the center was the hexagonal control panel, split into flat plates covered in various knobs, buttons, and levers. From the center of the control panel, a tall glass cylinder reached up to the high ceiling, within which an orange light burned brightly, bobbed up and down lazily. Overhead, a pair of huge wheels turned in alternate directions like complimentary gears in a clock, with strange circular symbols painted on the sides.

Ciri's head was on a swivel as she spun from one direction to the next to take in all the details of the control room. "Wow," she said, nearly tripping over herself. "I was wondering why you came in here."

"Yes," the Doctor said, "Remarkable, isn't it? Time and Relative Dimensions in Space - the TARDIS. Dimensionally transcendent, capable of traveling to any point in time and space,and fragrant with the intoxicating aroma of French vanilla.. Far more than a machine. Yes, far more even than simply a marvel of Timelord engineering. The TARDIS is a living, thinking being… and probably the single most reliable friend I've ever had. Oh true, she doesn't always take me where I want to go… but she has never – NEVER – failed to take me where I need to go."

_I know_, I thought to myself, _I just said so a few minutes ago_.

"Many have tried to get through those doors before," the Doctor said, his eyes fixed on the control panel as he worked its numerous bobbles. "The armies of Attila the hun, the daleks…it was even once swallowed by a giant dinosaur. No one gets in here unless I want them to. So when I heard someone pushing and knocking on my front door, I wasn't worried." Then he looked at me for the first time since I entered. "But then," he said, grabbing a monitor in front of him and turning it so that I could see the screen, "while I was in the middle of doing some routine coding revisions to the TARDIS' exotonic mainframe, this popped up on my screen." The screen showed a video feed of me…or, rather, where I'd been before being invited inside. "I tried to exit out of the feed, but I couldn't. That's when I realized…" he said, walking closer to me, "there's a reason that the TARDIS was showing me you. The question is, what is it?"

He asked the question with the tone of a lawyer, which is to say that it sounded as if he already knew the answer. This made me even more anxious to say something than I was already. "I...I, uh…"

He cut me off. "What's your name?"

"Patrick Murphy," I answered instantly.

"And yours?"

"Ciri," she said.

"Ciri...Patrick Murphy," he repeated, as if searching for a hidden meaning in our names. When none seemed to appear, he pointed to Ciri and asked, "How old are you?"

"19."

Then he turned and pointed at me, "That would make you 25, correct?"

It was a statement, not a question. "Uh…yeah…" I said. It wasn't too surprising to me that he would know that. After all, this was a man who could tell what planet he was on by tasting the air.

He took a few steps back, and his voice grew louder. "This isn't the first time I've met characters from fiction," he said, pacing around the control panel. "I once got into a sword fight with Cyrano de Bergerac."

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Ciri asked,

"Fiction," the Doctor said simply. Then he pointed to the TARDIS doors, "Nearly half the beings out there are entirely fictional. That grey bloke with the blue hat? Gandalf? I happen to be close personal friends with the author who created him. We first met after a group of grave-robbing mushrooms from 500 million years in the future tried to...eh, never mind, not the point. Now, In almost every instance, these were computer programs generated via artificial intelligence. It's easy enough to check whether or not you're trapped in a computer simulation," he said reaching into his pocket and pulling out a pair of sunglasses. "Everything in a computer simulation is made of binary code, which can be checked with a quick scan of the sonic shades."

He put on the shades and turned to look directly at me. Pressing a button on the frames of the glasses, a high-pitched whirring sound buzzed from them. A few seconds passed in which he looked me up from head to foot, but with his eyes hidden behind the black lenses, I had no idea what he made of what he saw. He repeated this action with regards to Ciri, who was not as receptive to an older man looking her over top to bottom.

"Everything in this world is made of code," he continued from his previous thought, "but not binary code, not ones and zeros. It's not a code I've ever encountered before, though it does bear superficial similarities to genetic code. But it's not made of amino acids either, no," he said, circling back around the control panel, "No, this is a bioelectrical code, and the bioelectrical signature is identical to the one found in the synapses between neurons in the human brain."

"Wait, wait, wait," Ciri said, putting up her hands to halt the Doctor. "I don't have even the slightest clue what you're talking about."

"It's best to just let him keep going like this," I said, looking over my shoulder at her. "He'll get around to making sense eventually...maybe…"

"I'm making perfect sense," the Doctor said defiantly. "It's your minds that are struggling to comprehend the sheer, utter ridiculousness of what I'm getting at."

"And what is that, exactly?" Ciri asked, crossing her arms. "In Common, if you don't mind."

The Doctor stepped toward her, standing right between Ciri and me. He looked from me, then to her, then to me again, then her again. And then, a single word escaped his thin lips, said in a quiet, almost-hissing voice. "Thoughts."

His teeth were bared gritting against one another, and his eyes had gone wide, as if he was expecting something from us. If he was, he wasn't getting it. We just stood there, staring at him. When he didn't get the response he was hoping for, he rolled his eyes and threw up his hands before coming mere inches away from my face. "These are all thoughts!" he hissed through his clenched teeth. Turning to look at Ciri, he repeated "We are all thoughts!"

No one said anything at first. The only sound in the room was the gentle hum of the TARDIS engines as they sat idle. Ciri was the first to break the silence. "Er….what?"

He turned to look at her. "Thoughts are real things," he said, putting his fingers together, "Tangible, quantifiable, and with a unique physical structure. Where do thoughts happen?" he asked her.

"The brain…?" she answered hesitantly.

"Yes," he said, holding up a finger. He moved away from us, ascending a staircase and striding hurriedly across a cat walk to a a small blackboard supported by a wooden from. He pulled the chalkboard along the catwalk so both of us could see it more clearly. Then he picked up a piece of chalk and began to draw.

"The human brain," he sad, as he sketched the shape of the object in question, "contains special cells that are responsible for transmitting information called neurons." Then he sketched the the outline of two neurons next to each other. "Human beings have 100 billion of them in their brains. Neurons are arranged in connected webs and lines that reach all parts of the brain. This little space here," he said, pointing to the small space in between the neurons, "is called a synapse. The electrical information travels from one neuron, across this long part here called the axon, and then to the next neuron by way of the synapse."

"Wait, hold on a minute," Ciri said. "What exactly is electrical information?"

"Electricity is a form of energy," I said. "Have you ever felt little shocks when wrapped in a wool blanket in the winter?"

"Oh, alright," Ciri said, doing her best to keep up. "And you're saying that this same form of energy is in our brains?" She put her finger on her temple.

"Precisely," the Doctor said, pointing at her with the chalk. "Those little shocks of electricity in our brains contain information. Sometimes it's basic information, like, 'hey heart, make sure you keep beating,' or 'hey pituitary gland, I could use some more endorphins!' But these same electrical impulses contain our thoughts, our feelings, our memories. Now, what I'm saying is that - according to my scans - everyone and everything in this entire world is registering the exact same bioelectrical code as these neural impulses."

"So essentially, if I'm hearing you right," Ciri said cautiously, "is that we're all made of the same...stuff that thoughts are made of."

"Yes," the Doctor said, "And it would go a long way in explaining how all these disparate elements - not only from throughout time and space, but from throughout imagination as well - can coexist."

I said "But…like, how does that work? Have I always been a thought? Has everything here always been thoughts? Because I remember living a fairly typical life before waking up here two days ago.. Also, aren't I thinking right now? How does a thought have thoughts?"

"Maybe," the Doctor said, not really specifying which question he was answering. "Maybe all of existence is simply the vast collection of thoughts harbored by a greater cosmic intelligence. Could it be that we are all simply the neurons of god?"

Ciri and I looked at each other

"No," he said, unimpressed with his own pontifications. "This bioelectrical signature wasn't registering before our arrival here. There has been a fundamental change in the nature of our entire physical makeup."

"What caused the change?" I asked.

"I don't know," the doctor said. "But it must have happened two days ago. Time travel beyond two days into the past is impossible, which means this universe didn't exist until two days ago. I think…" he paused, as if still finishing the thought, "I think that everything in this universe has been…transcribed…."

"Transcribed?" I asked, utterly bewildered.

"Like I said," he began, "this code is similar to the genetic code of DNA. Now, DNA is just a recipe, a recipe that's read by the ribosomes and then translated into proteins by DNA transcriptase. What if we were all once simple electrical impulses that have been decoded and translated into physical beings?"

I don't know why he was asking me, it's not as if I was in any position to evaluate the likelihood of this proposal. "Uh…could be, I suppose."

"That just leaves one important question," the Doctor said, stopping in place and looking once again at me. "If we are all thoughts… then whose thoughts are we?"

The Doctor made it sound all grandiose and important, so for a brief moment I thought it would be hard to answer. Then I saw the way he was looking at me, and the whole of the day's experiences came rushing back into mind. Raising my eyebrows, I pointed to my chest. "You think these are my thoughts?"

"What?" Ciri asked, every bit as dumbfounded as I was.

"You tell me," he said to me. "Has there been a single thing here that you have failed to recognize?"

"Not yet," I said. "But it's a big world out there."

"Big, yes," the Doctor said with a nod, "but not very old. In fact, nothing in this universe is older than 25 years, four months and 27 days"

"Wait, I thought you said nothing in this universe was older than two days?" Ciri asked.

"No," he said, "The change from thoughts to physical being happened two days ago, but the thoughts themselves – irrelevant of their form – are all somewhere within the window of 25 years old. And as a matter of fact, you are the single oldest thing I've been able to record. For example, both the TARDIS and I are 13 years old, which implies that you only first learned about me 13 years ago. Gandalf is a little older, a little over 16 years old. Ciri is barely more than an infant at about a year and a half. Excepting you, the oldest things I've been able to scan are some of wildlife, which are over 23 years old."

"Patrick…" Ciri said, walking over to me slowly. "You...you knew about me? You knew who I was, before we met you?"

I felt a fierce chill surge through my blood, and it felt as though something heavy just plopped to the bottom of my stomach. We were closer than ever to the point I had been actively avoiding since I first stumbled upon their campfire. I couldn't let them know that I knew them all, because then they'd ask how. And if they asked how, then I'd have to either lie - which I'm terrible at - or tell them the truth: I know of them because they are fictional characters in a game that I play, and in books that I've read. I can't think of anything more existentially insulting.

My silence was answer enough for her. "Why didn't you just tell us?"

"I...I…" the words got stuck in my throat. The Doctor watched us, observing the discourse. "I...couldn't," is what I brought myself to say, which was true enough.

"Why not?" Ciri asked. I looked at the Doctor, who looked away from me. He knew. Even if he'd never heard of the _Witcher_, there was enough in this place that was fiction for him to speculate. But that possibility hadn't crossed Ciri's mind in the least, because why would it? When's the last time you seriously questioned the validity of your own existence?

The best that my mind could come up with for an answer was, "The same reason you didn't tell Geralt about your choice to stop the White Frost."

She was silent, looking at me with those stark green eyes. If I had to guess, I'd say she was caught in between two very difficult truths. In the climax of the _Witcher III_, Ciri chooses to expose herself to the power of the White Frost - a vaguely-defined apocalyptic force in their universe which threatens to destroy all life. Only she had the power to stop it, something which had been prophesied since before her birth. She didn't tell Geralt because she feared that he might try to stop her in order to keep her safe, and that the thought of losing her would be too much pain for him to bear (and based on the game's worst possible ending, she was right). Simply put, she didn't tell Geralt of what she was planning because she was afraid of what that kind of information might do to him. And that was precisely my reasoning for not being up front with her. The problem was it was too late - now the truth had to be reckoned with.

The Doctor spoke up. "It is...rather unusual that Patrick knows so much about me as well…" he said, looking back at me. "There are very VERY few people in the entire universe who know me by face and by name… do you work for UNIT?"

I shook my head.

"Torchwood?"

"No."

He said nothing for a while. There was nothing but more cold silence "Patrick," it was the Doctor's voice, "What….what exactly do you know of me?"

I didn't know where to start. "I-...I mean-"

"How many faces have I had?" The Doctor asked.

"Thirteen," I said simply.

He took a deep breath in through his nose, closing his eyes. "Alright...alright...Ciri," he said, turning from me to her. "I know the question you want to ask...it's the same one I want to ask as well...but I think the implications of the answer to that question are too far reaching, and come with too much baggage to be worth considering. So I will say this:

"We are here, now, all of us. We think. We feel. We bleed. Ask us questions and we will answer. There is nothing in all of reality that can change that."

I nodded. "I think. Therefore, I am."

The Doctor didn't respond to me. "The world is changed for all of us. In different ways mind you, but in the end, the world we're in now is not the same world we all went to sleep in two nights ago. Everything has changed…or has it?" The question was directed at Ciri.

She looked at him with eyes that glistened. "What do you mean?"

"Can you think of something that hasn't changed?"

She didn't answer immediately. Instead, she looked at the floor, and the walls, and the ceiling, as the answer would be anywhere there. It clearly wasn't. She was about to voice her confusion to the Doctor, but then he nodded to her. Looking down, she saw nothing but herself. That's when it hit her. "Me?"

The Doctor nodded fully. "It's easy to get distracted by this world. But look deep inside yourself. Are you still you?"

I could see Ciri searching the depths of her memory, drawing up every experience she could think of that shaped her throughout her life. The failures, the triumphs. All those that came and went. The more she thought, the stronger she felt. With each memory that came to mind, she felt more and more like herself. "I am," she said firmly.

"You are you, regardless of where you come from, or how you came to be. You are you, and that's all that matters," the Doctor said quietly, but firmly. It was evident that he was speaking to himself just as much as he was speaking to Ciri. She smiled at him.

"I'm sorry," I said, hanging my head in shame. Both Ciri and the Doctor turned to look at me. They weren't angry, not visibly so at least. More than anything, their faces were just...disappointed, and that disappointment cut deep when it came from two people whom I had held so much admiration. "I never meant for any of this to happen."

The Doctor moved toward me and put his hand on my shoulder. The fingers were bony, but they gripped me with a firmness that stayed the tears welling up under my closed eyelids. "I don't blame you, Patrick Murphy," the Doctor said. "But you may be the key to understanding what's going on here. So please - help us, in any way you can."

I nodded enthusiastically, eager to demonstrate my commitment to figuring this all out. "I promise."

"Good lad," The Doctor said, patting my shoulder with his hand.

As he turned away from me, I stood up and said, "Doctor…" he turned back to look at me, "Ciri…" she kept her eyes on the floor, "Forgetting for a moment just how it is I know about you...you have no idea how much I admire you both." Ciri's eyes moved from the ground. "I've seen the things you've done...the people you've helped. I know the things you stand for...never cruel or cowardly...never give up...never give in…" the Doctor's eyes softened at these words,"I don't deserve your trust...but you have my respect and my devotion, whether you want it or not. And though you can't possibly know why, I am in your debt. There have been...dark times in my life...and sometimes things just feel so bad that...sometimes the only things that keep me going are stories...stories good, strong, compassionate people like you I...I just want to make things right." It was somewhat pitiful, but it was honest at least.

Ciri uncrossed her arms. The Doctor smiled. "There's a long road ahead of us, Patrick," he said, "and I have a feeling we're going to need your help if we're to understand all of this."

"I'll help in any way I can," I was quick to say.

"I know," the Doctor said, "I know. But I think we've done enough for today. Do you have a place to stay?

I genuinely wasn't sure. Given how utterly hurt and betrayed Ciri looked, I wouldn't be surprised at all if she decided to kick me out of the camp, neither could I blame her. "We've got some mates," she said curtly.

"Then in that case, I think we should call it a night. It's starting to get dark, and a decent night's sleep will do us all some good. But come back tomorrow," the Doctor said, suddenly returning to his almost manic demeanor. "I have a test I'd like to run that will hopefully provide more insight- er, just Patrick that is. You don't need to come if you don't want Ciri."

"I will," I assured the Doctor, bowing my head.

"Algith then, off with you," he said briskly, returning to the controls.

Both Ciri and I headed for the doors when I suddenly remembered. "Wait, Doctor," I said. He looked up at me, and I said, "I think Ciri had something she wanted to ask you." Ciri herself perked up at that. No doubt that in all the confusing revelations, she'd forgotten.

"What is it?" he asked.

Ciri took a while to answer, as if she had to shift to a whole other, distant set of memories. "Doctor..that's what you're called right?"

"Yes."

"Have...have you ever been to a place called Vaphiliian?"

The Doctor took a moment to think, pulling at his hair lightly. "Uh...yes, I have! That was a few decades ago...I remember, the people were fleeing from a volcanic eruption triggered by subterranean drones...why do you ask?"

"Did...did Tyssa make it?"

A flash of bewildered puzzlement came over the Doctor's face before being replaced with dawning realization. "That...that was you! You were the one who-"

"Did she make it?"

"Yes, the whole family!" the Doctor said, both joyfully and pridefully. "Even saved the cat! Whole family's doing well, they relocated to Sathir."

Ciri gave out a sigh of relief and smiled weakly. "Thank you, Doctor."

I stood by and watched in amazement as it dawned on me - Ciri had encountered the Doctor during her travels to other worlds. The geek in me wanted to know every detail of their encounter rendered in glorious high definition..but there was another, wiser part of me that was content to know that these two had met in the past, and that their encounter typified the best parts of both of them.

We exited the TARDIS doors, and found that night had settled fully onto the camp. Small fires flickered throughout the small congregations of beings gathered in the shadow of the tree. I looked at Ciri, who had her back to me. "Ciri.." I said.

There was a delay before her answer. "What," she said flatly.

Her tone cut me. "I...I'm sorry."

She half turned so that the corner of her right eye was visible to me. "It's not...you lied to me.""

"I did. And I'm sorry."

"You lied to Geralt and Triss too."

"I know." She stood there, still not looking at me fully. "Do you believe that I care about you?"

She almost turned around that, but then pulled away. "I do,"

"That's all I can offer you." Another awkward pause followed. "Look...if you don't feel comfortable with me staying with you, Geralt, and Triss, I understand. I mean, it's not as if I'd have any trouble finding someplace else-"

"I don't hate you," she blurted out.

"Oh...that's good...I don't hate you ei-"

"I'm just...confused. And angry. And i'd really like to stick my sword into something right now."

I swallowed.. "I'm sorry."

"Stop saying that!" she said, finally turning to face me properly. I had to fight every instinct I had to say 'sorry' again. "It-...it makes it harder to be angry with you." I looked down. "Oh Patrick...I like you, I do, it's just...things are all kinds of fucked up right now"

"True enough,"

"I just...the Doctor was right. I'm me, no matter what. That's what's most important. As long as I can keep that straight, I'll be alright."

"I think that's very wise," I said. "Do you think we should tell Geralt and Triss?"

Ciri took her time to find answer to this question. "I don't know. Maybe we should wait until we discover more. Tell you what, let's give it a while. If it feels like we should tell them, then we will."

"Okay," I said.

"But," she said, pointing a warning finger at me, "No more lies until then. Got it?"

"Got it," I said, firmly. "But...but you've met the Doctor!" I said, still blown away by that revelation.

She shook her head. "No, I never met him. Avallach...you know about him?" I nodded "Avallach and I were hiding from the Wild Hunt in a place called Verphillian. There was a volcano there...and an eruption. I had made a very dear friend there, and I thought she and her family were doomed...but then I saw something."

"The Blue Box?" I asked. She gave me a slightly annoyed look, but I was quick to point out, "No, I'd never heard of this part of your journeys I swear. It's just...well, what else could you have seen?"

She nodded, as a single tear streaked down her face. "Avallach and I had found a gateway on a mountain ridge looking over the town...I saw the lava engulfing everything in sight. Avallach told me not to look, that it would only hurt, but I didn't listen. When I looked, I saw a blue box, just like this one rising over their house."

"And the sound?" I asked, dong my best to imitate the odd warping sound of the TARDIS engines.

"Yes!" she said, almost shocked. "Sorry, it's just...you're the first person I've ever talked to about this. I don't often talk about my travels to other worlds. Geralt's the only other person I think would bother listening to me."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Sounds frustrating."

"It can be,"

"So...before we call Geralt… do you forgive me for lying to you?" I asked. I wasn't trying to be cutesy or...ich…'adorkable.' I treated my offense with the seriousness it deserved.

She looked at me intensely, weighing the choices behind her green eyes. Finally, she smiled, put her hand on my shoulder and said, "i forgive you."


	4. Chapter 3 - The Assault

**Chapter 3: The Assault**

When I woke up the next morning, I saw Geralt sitting and talking with Triss. Ciri was nowhere to be seen. After a good deal of yawning and stretching, I sat up and addressed them both. "Good morning."

"Good morning," Triss said, "Though I'm fairly certain it's past noon by now."

"Damn it," I said, slapping my forehead. "Anything important happen?"

"Would've woken you if it did," Geralt said.

"Where's Ciri?"

"Not sure," Triss said. "She went for a walk about an hour ago. We don't know where she went."

I turned my eyes to the myriad beings surrounding us at every turn, as if I might catch a glimpse of her ashen hair somewhere amidst the churning bodies. Not surprisingly, I found no sign of her. When my scan of the crowd reached the huddled mass of creatures debating the issue of our presence here, it suddenly struck me. "Oh shit!" I cried out, "I was supposed to meet the Doctor this morning!"

Getting to my feet quickly, I bid Geralt and Triss a fond 'see you later' and made my way to the crowd. When I arrived at the ring of creatures from yesterday, I found that it was bigger, no doubt due to the arrival of new species. Most prominently of all were the Eagles of the Misty Mountains; stern, noble, golden brown, and each one with the wingspan of a small airplane. They were perched on the top of the closest basalt towers looming over the group, looking down at the rest of the creatures with yellow eyes as sharp as their hooked talons. Upon reaching the center, I saw that the floor was held by a pair of otherworldly beings that looked more than anything like Pablo Picasso paintings come to life. All aspects of their anatomy were completely asymmetrical, their faces in particular. This fact was all the more disturbing by virtue of the fact that they otherwise looked eerily human. They didn't have legs or feet, instead supporting themselves on giant fingers spread around them like the limbs of a spider. These asymmetrical people were from a story I had read online by C.M Koseman called _All Tomorrows: a Billion Year Chronicle of the Myriad Species and Mixed Fortunes of Man. _

"There is only one power we know of that can wreak such havoc," one said, "and that is the Qu! Millions of years ago, they neutered our once vast and prosperous civilization, reducing us to savage, animalistic abominations, trapped on a planet with intense gravity! Our once human bodies were warped through the powers of natural selection into our present forms, better able to deal with the gravitational forces at work. It took us millions of years to recover our intelligence and return at last to the stars. The Qu were as gods when they wiped out our society, and had us mutated into asymmetry. There's no knowing how much more powerful they have become since!" The TARDIS' translating powers were never more apparent than when watching this asymmetrical person speak. There was no way his lips could have formed anything even approaching English words on their own.

"It's true!" another voice cried from the crowd. At first, it looked like a ten foot tall stork had hopped out of the crowd into the center. But a more thorough inspection revealed it to be something altogether stranger. Though it had long legs and high ankles like a stork, the feet looked most like human hands. There wasn't a single feather on it, instead having membranous wings stretched across elongate fingers like a bat. Although the skin around the mouth was cracked and scaly, ending in a small beak, there was no mistaking the humanity of its eyes. "The Qu slaughtered our ancestors as well! It was nothing more or less than happenstance that enabled us to salvage our sapience, and even then, only after millions of years of bestial regression. If the Qu are behind this, which is more than possible, we must treat this threat with the utmost seriousness!" He spoke very quickly, and with frustrated impatience.

There were many musings from the crowd, especially from many of the other species from _All Tomorrows_. In Koseman's story, the Qu subjugated humanity and used them as little more than playthings, manipulating their genes the way a child plays with building blocks. They made many forms, some of which died out, and only a tiny overall percentage of which returned to intelligent forms. Many more of these beings had joined the crowd, reacting most strongly and fearfully to the suggestion that the Qu were responsible for this predicament.

"Please, please!" the Doctor said, rushing forward with his hand up. "I understand your concerns. I've encountered beings like these Qu before, but we have the means to defend ourselves! We haven't yet exhausted all of our potential explanations yet, many more have yet to speak."

"How can we possibly defend against the Qu?!" cried a voice from somewhere in the crowd. I couldn't tell who, or what, made it.

The Doctor addressed the whole crowd, instead of turning in the direction of the voice. "That blue box there," the Doctor said, pointing to the TARDIS, "Is the most advanced piece of technology that any of you will ever see in your entire lives. Timelord science has mastered a variety of methods that can be used to repel attacks; sky trenches that transport the invaders to other locations, energy based weapons that can cause molecular disintegration and are effective against all known forms of matter, the formation of dark-star alloys that are impenetrable."

This seemed to placate the crowd somewhat at first, until a female Na'vi cried out, "If your people wield such power,then how do we know you are not to blame for this?"

A wave of sudden angry suspicion passed through the crowd as frightened yells began issuing from every camp. The Doctor tried to speak out to them, but his voice was drowned out in the din of the crowd. Then,rising over the cacophony, a single voice emerged; deep and commanding. "BE SILENT! BE SILENT!" it called, striking fear into the hearts of all in the crowd. A shadow fell over the scene, as if storm clouds had descended suddenly over the tree. "WE WILL NOT GIVE INTO TERROR AND DESPAIR!"

The shadow began to shrink, the light returning overhead. It receded to Gandalf's side, and we all saw him standing there in the center, beside the Doctor, standing tall and holding his staff aloft. Gandalf, in his fury, had 'unmasked' himself for a moment, revealing something of the maiar spirit hidden deep beneath the guise of a wizened old man.

"We must all of us muster our courage, lest we be consumed by these dark events!" Gandalf cried loudly, though his voice had returned to normal. "Actions taken in haste will, more often than not, turn to folly, which we cannot afford now. I do not say 'be not suspicious,' but rather, 'be not fearful.' We shall consider all the possibilities that lie before us, but we will not be driven wholly by terror and distrust! That will be the doom of us all!"

There was a prolonged pause in which no one said anything. It was the Doctor who dared to break it. "I think," he said tentatively, "that we must go over the facts again, to re-establish our shared position in this endeavor." Though a torrent of groans rose up out of the crowd, the Doctor was able to shout over them this time. "Oh no, I'll have none of that! If reminding you all of just exactly what's going on here is what it takes to keep you from eating each other alive, then it's all the more important!"

And so the Doctor recounted all that they had learned up to that point once more, though there were at least a few more facts to add to the bunch (none that made anything clearer unfortunately). However, just as he finished, something shot out of the sky and landed in the center of circle with a tremendous thud. Everyone flinched before seeing what it was- a man made of metal, colored striking red and gold and with glowing white eyes. His face plates drew back to reveal the face of a man with dark eyes, a stern brow, and sharply-styled goatee.

He spoke, to no one in particular, "Uh, hi, yeah, um…would any of you…" he stopped mid-sentence, looking throughout the crowd as if searching for the right term, "…lovely people mind telling me what the hell's going on around here?"

The entire crowd let out an exasperated moan, many of them actually shaking their fists at him. Except for me that is - I just laughed, shaking my head and rolling my eyes.

He put up his hands and said, "What, what'd I say?"

The Doctor stood in front of Tony Stark, putting up his hands to try and calm the crowd again. "Look, everyone – let's all break for lunch and meet back here in an hour. A nice meal will improve all our spirits."

The crowd was clearly in agreement, and they were only too happy to leave the matter at hand and go off on their own to find something to eat. Stark looked at the dissipating crowd and said, "Oh, I'm sorry, was I not invited? Am I crashing a party here? 'Cause that's… that's totally not like me at all, I don't know what to say." His sarcasm was more than apparent.

The Doctor came up to him and put his shoulder around Stark's shoulder. "Listen, fly boy," he said to Stark, "Why don't you go get yourself a cup of coffee, maybe some crisps or a bag of goldfish, come back here in an hour, and we'll fill you in on what we know."

"Oh do you know a good place to get a cup of coffee around here?" Stark asked him, "because all I've seen is, like, a ton of Starbucks, and I'm not made of money ya know-"

"Yeah, sure you're not," the Doctor said, pushing Stark away from him by the back. Stark was pushed away just a few steps before he reactivated his face plate, and blast off from the ground with a searing white light and a thunderous boom that sent shudders through the ground and up my legs.

As the crowd began to disperse, I made my way over to the Doctor, who finally caught sight of me for the first time that day. "Ah Patrick!" he said, holding out his arms in a welcoming gesture. "Come, come on! I was hoping you'd get here earlier before things really got started."

"Sorry about that," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "I should have said, I'm usually a late sleeper."

Before the Doctor could say anything else, Gandalf came up to us with a woman at his side. She was tall, taller than Gandalf in fact, and had vivid, golden curls that trailed from her head all the way to her waist. Around her forehead, there was a crown of shimmering silver, and she was dressed in a long, flowing white gown. "Doctor," Gandalf said, "A word?"

"Certainly," the Doctor said, "hope it's a good word. Like elbow, or muffins."

Gandalf's mouth widened as if to smile, but he stopped himself. "The Lady Galadriel and I fear that a great and terrible power is growing somewhere out in the world," he said in a low voice. He didn't even seem to notice me.

"What do you mean?" The Doctor asked

Galadriel spoke, with a low, fair voice. "A shadow has fallen over The Three."

"The Three?" The Doctor asked.

"The Elven rings," I said reflexively.

Galadriel and Gandalf both turned to me "Yes," Galadriel said, stepping toward me, and looking at me with blue eyes that cut right through me like an icy wind. I swallowed. "Who are you?"

"Uh… Patrick… Murphy?" I said, so taken aback by her eyes that I even questioned my own name.

She reached out slowly with her right hand toward my face, placing the very edge of her fingertips against my cheek. Of all things, I was filled with the sudden regret that I hadn't shaved. "I feel something in you. Something of the earth…and the air…"

"Oh, uh…okay…." I said, not really knowing what else to say, or how else to react.

Gandalf looked at what was happening with great fascination, only for the Doctor to cut in. "Yes, well, what was that you were saying about a dark power, Gandalf?"

Gandalf looked at him with dazed eyes, as if struggling to remember his face. He shook his head, and said, "Right, yes. A shadow has fallen over the Elven rings. Riders clad in black have been seen in the North. They ride under cover of night, and at great speed. We fear that the Dark Lord is gathering great strength, wherever he may be. He may even be close to once more possessing the One."

"Sauron has the One Ring!?" I nearly shouted. This caused Galadriel to draw back, and Gandalf looked at me sternly. "Oh, sorry, sorry! It's just…that's a very scary thought…"

"Indeed," Gandalf said, both hands on his staff. "Though if you had listened more carefully, you'd hear that I had said that he _may_ be _close _to having it. If he were to have it, and put it on his finger, those who wield the Three would know it, and cast them off immediately."

"Of course, right, sorry," I said in a quiet voice.

"You seem somewhat learned in these matters," Gandalf said, cocking his head as he looked at me.

I just sort of mumbled to myself before shrugging and saying, "I read."

The Doctor put a hand on my shoulder and pulled me close to him. "I can see you're getting acquainted with my new friend here! He's a very astute young man, as you can plainly tell. But getting back to the matter at hand, what do you propose to do about Sauron?"

"Important matter though it is," Gandalf said sternly, "do not think that I do not see you trying to keep our attention from him. This man is clearly of great importance as well, and it will not do to keep this information hidden from us."

The Doctor sighed. "Never try to sneak something past a wizard eh?" the Doctor said. His admission caused Gandalf's expression to soften slightly. "I do have some reason to believe that this person, Patrick Murphy, may hold the key to understanding what's happened here."

Gandalf looked slightly puzzled. "Oh? What makes you think so?"

"I'd rather not explain it now," the Doctor said, "I still have somethings to see to before I can be more confident, and I'd rather this not get out before I'm sure."

Gandalf eyed the Doctor suspiciously from under the rim of his hat. "When did you learn this?"

"Just last night," the Doctor said, "after the crowd had dispersed. I was going to tell you, I promise, I just wanted to be more certain first."

Gandalf blinked once and relaxed. "Oh, my dear Doctor," he said smiling, "you can trust your counsel with me, for I trust you, and believe what you say. But I must insist that once you know all that you may learn that you discuss it with me. I may even have some insight to offer, you know?"

The Doctor laughed. "Yes, I do. But back to Sauron, seriously this time. What do you plan to do about him?"

"I will speak with Gwahir of the great eagles," he said, pointing up with his staff to the titanic birds perched high on the rocky peaks above us. "I will ask if he and his friends will fly out and look for any signs of the enemy or his dwellings. In the meantime, those who wear the Elven Rings must keep their vigil, and be ready to dispense with them should we sense his return to his full power."

"Sounds good to me," the Doctor said, "the plan about the eagles, that is, not the….whole, you know….evil dark lord becoming all powerful again part."

Gandalf said nothing, but simply made his way toward the foot of the rocks where the eagles perched, waving them down toward him. This left the Doctor and me with Galadriel, who continued to gaze intently at me. I couldn't look her in the eyes anymore. Eye contact is something I struggle with in general, but the way she looked at me was like what a pig must feel like when it's being inspected for slaughter. "Was I mistaken?" she asked softly. "Is it you, Patrick Murphy, that is in the earth, and the air, and the water?"

"I'm… not sure…" which was probably the single most honest response I could give.

"But you guess, do you not?" she asked me.

"I… I, uh, I try not to guess…. I mean, you know what they say about making assumptions, right?" I said to her, knowing full well that she had absolutely no idea what they say about making assumptions…at least, I hope she doesn't…

"Take great care, Patrick Murphy," she said, taking a step back. "For you have been unleashed, and the doom of this world is yours as well."

Neither the Doctor nor I had anything to say to that. After a very awkward silence that probably lasted for far longer than it felt, the Doctor nodded and said, "Right," before grabbing my shoulder, "Come on Patrick, let's go run those….those tests shall we."

I still couldn't bring myself to actually say anything out loud, but I was screaming _You don't have to tell me twice_ in my head. He led me away to the TARDIS, and once we were safely inside, the both of us let out huge sighs of total relief. "Is it me?" the Doctor asked, looking at me, "Or is she just a wee bit creepy?"

"It's definitely not just you," I said, "and more than a wee bit, I think….but she knows!" I was so thrown back by her domineering aura that I didn't actually realize what the words meant until just then. "The earth is in you, you are in the earth, yada, yada, yada – that's what it meant! She knows that these are my thoughts."

"So it would seem," The Doctor said. '"But I still want to run my tests. We'll need more than the word of one elf to convince all those different species out there…. No matter how... _persuasive_ she is. So come on, let's get these tests done, shall we?" the Doctor said, gesturing toward the TARDIS control console, indicating that I move toward it.

"Now, these tests," I began as I walked tentatively down toward the console, "They're not… I mean, they don't hurt do they? Because I don't have, like, a phobia of needles or anything, but I do – generally speaking – like to avoid pain… you know, if I can help it."

"No, this won't hurt a bit," the Doctor said. "Worst that'll happen is that I'll shove a few things up your nose."

"Careful, I think I still have somethings left in there from when I was three," I said, trying to make light of the situation. Despite the Doctor's assurance, I was still apprehensive. Sometimes the Doctor has a different idea of what constitutes 'pain' from us puny humans, and sometimes he just outright lies about such things. Come to think of it…I'm not even sure there was much point in asking…

"This way, over here," the Doctor said, beckoning me over to where he was crouched down below the control console. He was fiddling with a box full of wires, plugs, and other assorted devices messily stored together. "Here," he said, holding up what looked like a nose plug, save for the tiny red lights blinking on either nostril. He carefully maneuvered them into place up my nostrils, a sensation which my body instantly objected to. Nonetheless, I kept them in place.

The Doctor took the other end of the wire connected to the nose plug and inserted it into a socket on one of the control panels. When it was clicked in place, he set to work, pulling levers, typing in commands on a keyboard, adjusting knobs, and pressing buttons. The TARDIS made many excited whirring and bleeping sounds, like a large animal being tickled. I felt the probes in my nose growing warm, and a strong tingle coursed from somewhere behind my eyes. It didn't hurt, but it was certainly one of the oddest feelings I've ever experienced. I shuddered slightly.

"You alright?" the Doctor asked. I nodded. "Okay," he said, returning to the controls, "let's get started." He pressed a final button, and something red flashed in front of him. More than anything, it looked like a tangled mess of pulsing strings of red light winding their way over, under, and around each other into a dense cobweb of energy. "Good!" he cried out, "Good! So, this hologram is a representation of the bioelectrical activity taking place within your brain right now. I spent all last night examining and mapping the bioelectrical code registering from all matter and energy in this world, figuring out to how to reconfigure it back into its original form. What I'm going to do is break down a small, simple piece of matter into its base bioelectrical code, and see how it compares to the same piece of matter as it's coded within your thoughts."

"So if they look the same, then that means that it's made of my thoughts?" I asked

"Exactly," the Doctor said, pulling something out of his pocket. "Here," he said, showing me a small, grey rock, "look at this rock. Examine it. Touch it. Take in as much detail of it as you can."

I took the rock from him, turning it over in my fingertips. It was a well-rounded stone, with a sandy texture and the color of rusted red. "Okay, think I got it."

"Good," he said, quickly taking it back from me. Without a second thought, he tossed it into a hatch at the base of the console. Brilliant red sparks of electricity burst forth into the open space inside the hatch with angry hisses and violent cracks, only to fade away in silence just a second later. We both looked back up at the hologram, which had been joined by another. This one was also made of scarlet streams of light, only these were wider, there were far fewer of them, and they weren't nearly so tangled. "Now, let's cross reference the two," the doctor said, placing his finger tip against the light of simpler of the two holograms and swiping it left toward the larger, more complicated one.

The two images sat one on top of the other for several seconds before a small bell rung out, and a tiny speck on the larger hologram began blinking fervently. "Aha!" the Doctor said, reach up with both hands and putting his index finger and thumb on the corners of the blinking light. He enlarged it with his fingers, and when it reached its full size, it was identical to the second hologram. "And there we have it!"

"So that means that we are all just my thoughts? For sure?"

"Correct," the Doctor said. "Not that there aren't still plenty of questions, most pressing of all being how this happened in the first place, not to mention why…"

"Well, however it happened, I just want to make clear that I didn't mean to do this," I said, feeling suddenly defensive. "Just like everyone else, I just went to bed that night and woke up here, no clue how or why. So it's not my fault… mostly."

"No, I don't think so," the Doctor said. "For starters, it's not hard for me to tell when someone's lying to me, so at the very least you're being honest. Besides that, there's simply nothing about you that leads me to believe that you would have the capacity to do any of this."

"Exactly!" I said enthusiastically. The last thing I wanted was for the blame of this whole fiasco to fall to me, especially if the mob outside found out. "So now that we've got this figured out...what do we do?"

"That's the really tricky part," the Doctor said as he began pacing around the console. "That lot out there are on a knife's edge, just the wrong syllable of the wrong word, spoken at the wrong time and the wrong place could ignite violent conflict. Telling them that we're all just physical manifestations of the thoughts inside the head of one typical early 21st century, middle-class, American, white male 25 years of age….somehow I don't think they'd take it well. Assuming they even believed us…"

"So we're not going to tell them?"

"No...not yet, at least. We need to get to a more solid position...not physically, I mean...in terms of having a specific course of action.. What would really help is we knew how to undo this."

Four knocks came at the door. The Doctor grabbed the monitor and pulled it closer to him and flicked a switch to show the feed from outside. Ciri was standing just outside the TARDIS, looking as expectant as delivery driver. "Ciri," I said, simply.

The Doctor turned away from the monitor and moved toward the door way. Opening it up, he said, "Ciri. What can I do for you?"

"Is Patrick in there?" she asked.

"He's right here," he said, turning to his side to reveal me.

"Oh...are you still doing the tests?" she asked.

"No," the Doctor said, "I think we're just about done here. Well Patrick, off you pop."

"Oh...okay," I said, moving hesitantly to the doorway. As I passed the Doctor, he gave me a look that said _good luck_..

I stepped outside the TARDIS and found myself face to face with Ciri. Her expression was forcefully blank. I heard the TARDIS door close behind me. "Uh...hey Ciri," I said nervously.

"Hey," she said, "Can we talk?"

"Sure," I said.

Ciri turned and started walking, and I followed instinctively followed at her side. She didn't look at me, her face looking more downward at the ground (though not quite to the point of naval gazing). "How did the tests go?"

"They were alright. Quick, painless…"

"What did you find out?"

"Well...as far as the Doctor could tell from the tests...this world and everything in it really are made of my thoughts."

"Hmm," she said simply, giving one small nod.

I felt like she was circling the issue that she really wanted to talk about it. "How are you feeling?"

She didn't say anything at first, but she raised her head at least. "Better," she said, "I've had a lot of time this morning to think about things."

"I see."

"I've decided I just don't really care," she said, turning to look at me for the first time. "The Doctor really was right...when I woke up this morning I thought 'it can't just be that simple.' If I'm not...I mean, if I don't actually exist in reality….but the more I thought about, I just sort of realized how little it matters. I must be real, because...well, I'm here. I can think and feel and interact with others, and everything. I'm just as real as you are...I could take out my sword and cut you in half right now, and then who'd be the real one?"

"Damn straight!" I said, "Though I have to say, I would appreciate it if you didn't…"

She laughed. "Wouldn't dream of it."

"But no, I agree," I said. "I don't think it really matters if...well, I mean, what does it mean to be 'real' anyway? Philosophers have been arguing about it forever, but I don't think they understand anymore than anyone else does. Besides, whatever it meant to be real last week, I don't think it matters now that we're here."

"Right, exactly," Ciri said.

"I 'm real, you're real...or maybe we're both completely fictional."

"How do you figure that one?" Ciri asked,

"Well. okay, so you know how the Doctor said that he knows that Gandalf is fiction?"

"Yes."

"So that means that Gandalf is fiction to the Doctor who is fiction to me in turn. Who's to say it doesn't go even further than that? What if I'm fiction to someone else?"

"But wait," Ciri countered, "This is your world, that means it must end with you, right?"

"That's where it ends _here_," I said pointedly, "But who's to say that this whole scenario isn't entirely fictional, being dictated by someone on yet another level? I guess some people might argue that that's God… not me though, I don't believe in gods."

"Me neither," Ciri said.

"But no...maybe we're all real, maybe none of us are real...but ultImately, who cares? We're here, and that's all that matters."

"Right," Ciri said, now holding her head high and smiling.

"Either way...I'm glad that I have this opportunity to meet so many incredible people," I said, somewhat sheepishly.

"You mean like me?" Ciri said in a cocky voice.

I laughed, and then shook my head. "Nah, I mean people who aren't completely and totally awful."

"Oh shove off, Murphy," she said, shoving me playfully by the shoulder.

The force sent me stumbling a few steps to my right, but I laughed with her. "I don't think we should tell anyone else though, including Geralt and Triss," I said.

"Why not?"

"The Doctor's concerned about this getting out," I said. "If the information gets out, it might cause...unrest among the crowd. Maybe even conflict. It's very sensitive information"

"We seemed to handle it alright," she said with a shrug.

"Yeah, but that's just because there are only two of us," I said. It reminded me of a quote from the movie, _Men in Black_. "A person is smart. People are stupid, panicky, dangerous animals. Remember the crowds gathered around the witch burnings at Novigrad? Would you trust them with this kind of information?"

"Fair point," she said, a hint of disgust in her voice as the memory of the pogroms at Novigrad flashed in her memory.

"The Doctor said the truth will get out eventually," I added, "but that it'd be better when we had a more definitive course of action."

"Right," she said, "Say Patrick...can I ask you something?"

"You certainly may."

"How...exactly how much do you know about me?"

"Well...a fair bit, I guess. I know that your full name is Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon. You're the daughter of Pavetta and Emhyr Var Emerys, granddaughter of Queen Calanthe of Cintra. Your full title is Queen of Cintra, Princess of Brugge and Duchess of Sodden, heiress to Inis Ard Skellig and Inis An Skellig, suezerine of Attre and Abb Yarra, and most recently, Empress of Nilfgaard."

Ciri rolled her eyes. "Ugh, please tell me you know something besides all that rubbish."

"Okay, well..I know you first met Geralt in Brokilon when you were 10 years old. He didn't know it, but you were actually the child of surprise promised to him by your grandmother. He wouldn't figure it out until you drank the water of the dryads but didn't lose your memories. But he didn't take you because, even though you were destined to go with him, he didn't want to take a little girl to Kaer Morhen. But then he ran into you again after you escaped the Fall of Cintra. That's when he realized he really was destined to take you."

Ciri was quiet for a moment before saying, "You really do know about me, don't you?"

"Not everything."

Then she smiled all of a sudden. "What's the most embarrassing thing you know about me?"

"What? I don't know, uh….maybe when you got your first period but the Witchers didn't realize it until Triss told them off for it? And then you came up with a system where whenever you came down from your room in the morning wearing a dress, it meant training was off for the day?"

She burst out laughing, holding her belly in her left arm. "Oh dear gods, I can't believe you know about that! I remember Triss was furious when she found out."

I chuckled along with her. "I have to admit, it was pretty funny to see how embarrassed they all were when Triss confronted them. Lambert and Vesemir in particular."

"In over 50 years of training young witchers, I guess that's one thing Vesemir never expected to deal with!"

"Poor old…" I stopped, suddenly realizing something. "Ciri..what if he's here?"

Ciri stopped. "What?"

"Vesemir! What if he's somewhere in this world?"

"Can't be. He died during…." She stopped herself as she began to put the pieces together.

"Doesn't matter!" I finished for her. "I know about him, which means logically he has to be here somewhere! Doesn't matter if he's dead! Hell, non-bird dinosaurs have been dead for 66 million years, and they're here!"

"Oh my gods, you're right!" she said, her eyes lighting up with pure joy, leaping up and down like an excited school girl. And then, unexpectedly, she grabbed me in her arms and held me in a hug that was far stronger than her thin frame might suggest. She spun me around and said, "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Don't mention it," I said, not feeling altogether worthy of her adulation.

The people around us began to stir, slightly at first but then building to a frightened panic. Screams carried over the crowd. Children cried out as they quickly became lost in the shuffling mass of terrified bodies. A pair of yautja came barreling toward us. Ciri and I dodged them, standing back to back and holding hands to avoid getting separated. Over the rising tide of screams, we heard another sound: a deep rumbling that rose up my legs from underground. From behind us, the immense shapes of six-legged, indigo direhorses galloped into view, making course, barking caws from the ends of their long, anteater-like snouts. Each one was twice the size of a Clydesdale, and carried a Na'vi rider, with bows swung over their shoulders, and spears grasped in their hands.

Ciri ran alongside the hunting party, waving her arms to flag one of them down. She found success in a younger, female warrior. Ciri called out to her, "What's going on? What's happening?!"

"Monsters!" she said before riding off with her companions.

"Oh that's helpful," Ciri said, more to herself than to me.

She pulled me by the hand and followed the Na'vi with me in tow. Around us, other creatures were mobilizing. The yautja had clustered together, having fully armed themselves with spears and blades. The apes rode forward on black horses, carrying bows and arrows, spears, and even a few rifles. The ents were fully roused, stomping with the might of their trunk-like legs. Silurians, pterosapiens, elves, dwarves, assymetricals, and many more rode forward. They weren't battling each other – instead, they all seemed to be congregating toward a single point on the edge of the forest. Unarmed bystanders fled in the opposite direction, looking to get out of the way.

Once we got close enough to where the action was taking place, we saw just what these monsters were. They were ants – dull red, and each one the size of a car. They were eyeless, making up for their lack of sight with the frenetic motion of their antennae, feeling and smelling everything nearby. Ferocious, pincer-like jaws snapped excitedly as they darted from one point to the next. The ants didn't discriminate in their targets, and eagerly attacked anything too slow to escape, or too weak to fight back. Their victims were crushed in the vice-like grip of their jaws, and stung with a three foot long stinger on the ends of their abdomens.

"FUCKING CHRIST!" I shouted, seeing the hordes of ravenous insects scurry from beneath the trees en masse. One of them suddenly changed course, its antennae zeroing on Ciri and me. As its jaws were about to snap around my waist, Ciri pulled me out of the way, holding her sword in her hands. Crying out, she sliced through the ant's antennae, chopping them off and rendering it all but blind. As it blundered around in a feeble effort to find its target, Ciri darted to various weak points on its body; the joints between its body segment. In a few flashes of cold steel, head, thorax, and abdomen were soon lying in three pieces on the ground. Still alive, the head's jaws continued snapping for a victim. Ciri stood over, plunging the tip of her sword through the exoskeleton and into the brain. The wound gushed with gallons of transparent, blood-like hemolymph.

"Stay close!" Ciri said, pulling me behind her and holding the sword out in front.. From the protection of my Cintrian bodyguard, I looked around and saw an exhilarating display. Though the various different species had charged at the ants within their own small clusters, their forces broke upon the ants like water on rock, and their warriors became intertwined. But they all knew who the enemy was. So when a bonobo had been seized in the jaws of one ant, it was saved by the energy blast from a weapon wielded by an insectoid alien. When a Na'vi collapsed under the weight of his direhorse, paralyzed from a sting, an Eosapien crushed the ant responsible between two of its tendril-like fingers. When an ent was overwhelmed by five ants crawling all over it, he was saved by a Silurian soldier, firing at the ants while sparing the ent from the fiery beam of her plasma ray.

The creatures weren't the only ones getting in on the battle. Gandalf rode the magnificent Shadow fax through the ranks, striking at many an ant with his sword, Glamdring. Through the crowds, I even caught sight of Geralt twirling and pirouetting with his silver sword in hand, cutting up the marauding arthropods into pieces. Beside him, Triss hurled fireballs at the ants, causing the to burst into roaring flames.

One of the ants snapped at Geralt just as he cast Quen. The strike blasted both he and the ant in opposite directions, throwing Geralt right into the side of another ant. The ant turned in an instant. It's jaws closing around Geralt's waist. With no shield to protect him, Geralt's eyes clenched shut, and he let out a painful cry. But he was released from the ant's mandibles not five seconds later when a sword plunged through the exoskeleton of the ant's head and straight into its brain. I looked to see who held the sword, and saw that it was a young man, just about my age. He was dressed entirely in black – boots, pants, sweatshirt, and lastly, a hooded cloak that flowed behind him elegantly. His hair was long and blonde, with patches of slightly darker hair growing over his lip and out of his chin.

"Brendan!" I shouted, though none but Ciri heard me.

"What?" Ciri asked, half distracted by another incoming ant, which was soon lying in thirds on the ground.

I pulled at her arm "Closer! Move closer toward that guy there, in black!"

Cir was kind enough to grant me this request. She practically danced through the battlefield, leaping, spinning, and running like she was part of a well-choreographed ballet. I stayed as close as I could to her, though keeping enough distance to avoid getting in her way. Finally, we reached Brendan. I could tell from his eyes that he would have greeted us if he hadn't something a bit more pressing on his mind. Instead, an ant had charged toward us, only to fall victim to Ciri's sword, which she used to slice off its antennae.. Brendan took advantage of the situation and hurled his sword horizontally through the ant's skull, cleaving it in two.

"Aha!" he called out, moving closer to us. "So there you are!"

"What, you've been looking for me?" I asked.

He didn't answer at first, his attention focused on taking out the ants closest to us. After another hour or so of fighting, the ants finally realized that this was not a fight that they could win, and began to retreat back into the safety of the jungle from whence they came, dragging their fallen victims back with them.

Victory was acknowledged by different creatures in different ways. Those whose cultures were more violent reveled in it, raising their hands in various triumphant gestures and letting out booming calls to mark the occasion. Others who came from less aggressive societies focused more on the losses they had sustained: mourning the dead with painful sobs that carried across the battlefield, and deep silences that were no less powerful. If was there was any silver lining to this dark cloud, it was that it looked as though many friendships had been forged in the fire of this battle. While most of the creatures tended to their own, there were many others that saw to the wounds of other species.

Brendan sheathed his sword and turned to me. "Well, glad that's over," he said, breathing deeply.

"Very much so," I said. "But what were you saying before? You were looking for me?"

"Of course," Brendan said. "I knew you had to be around here, or out there somewhere," he said, pointing toward the forest.

"You did?" I asked him. "How?"

He snickered before answering. "Isn't it obvious?" he asked. "Big tropical jungle filled with dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures? Not to mention all the alien creatures, _Doctor Who_, _Lord of the Rings_, the Marvel stuff, _Jurassic Park_, _Witcher_-"

At the mention of _Witcher_, I suddenly remembered. "Oh shit, Geralt!" We both turned back to where Geralt had fallen, seeing him lying on his side, supporting himself with his elbow. Someone was kneeling beside him; a woman whose combined coloration of black and white instantly put thoughts of killer whales into my mind. Much like brendan, her coat, shirt, trousers, and boots were all black, though with white highlights. Her skin was fair, which contrasted sharply with her hair, black as raven feathers. A distinct fragrance drifted from the woman; a scent both flowery and fruity. I had never smelled anything quite like it before, but I knew instantly what it was, by virtue of where it came from.

"Yennefer," I said quietly, looking at Brendan. He looked back at me with an expression that mirrored my excitement.

Yennefer of Vengerburg paid no attention to us. Instead, she held her hands over Geralt's wounds. The ant's jaws had cut through the chain mail surrounding his torso, leaving deep cuts in his waist. The sorceress knelt down with her hands over the wounds, a faint purple light held in her fingers. As Brendan and I approached, I asked, "Is he alright?"

"I can sterilize the cuts," Yennefer said, "but they're beyond my skill to heal fully. Those ants mouthparts cut very deep. He's going to need a lot of stitches, but Witcher wounds heal fast if left to their own devices."

Geralt looked at Brendan. "You're the kid who saved me."

Brendan's jaw quivered. "I..I..uh, I… " he stuttered.

"Another second and that ant would have cut me in half. I owe you one."

He waved his hand, and said in a quiet voice, "It was nothing, really."

"Not to me, it wasn't," Yennefer said, standing back up. "Geralt happens to be a very dear friend of mine. I thank you," she said, putting a hand on her waist and bowing slightly.

Brendan blushed so fiercely I almost thought he had spontaneously developed a fever. "Well, uh… just, happy to help, of course."

"I am Lady Yennefer of Vengerburg."

"P-Patrick Murphy," I said, stuttering slightly as I got caught in the beautiful gaze of her violet eyes.

"Brendan Anderson," he said, keeping a better coposure than me.

"I see you've already met our little Ciri," Yennefer said, looking down at Ciri, who was kneeling down beside Geralt, holding his hand.

"Not me," Brendan said, deflecting the comment back to me.

Triss walked up to us. "Patrick found Geralt, Ciri, and me in the forest last night. He's been journeying with us ever since."

"Hey Patrick," Geralt said, looking at me, "think you could lend a hand?" He reached out his hand toward me.

"Sure," I said, grabbing his hand and pulling on his arm. With a scrunched up face, Geralt hauled himself back to his feet.

Someone came rushing through the mass of shifting bodies around us, panting deeply. I turned to see the Doctor, his hair wilder than ever. Putting his hand on his chest, he said, "Oh Patrick...oh thank goodness...I was afraid you might have gotten hurt…." in between desperate breaths.

I shook my head. "Nah. I'm pretty much useless in a fight, but my new friends sure aren't," I said, gesturing to Ciri, Triss, Geralt, and Yennefer."

The Doctor looked at all of them. "Well now, who do we have here?"

"Geralt of Rivia," Geralt said, his arm around Yennefer's shoulder.

"Yennefer of Vengerburg," she said.

"Triss Merigold of Maribor."

"And I'm Ciri." They used their full names, I'm guessing, because the Doctor had establishd himself as an 'important.' person in this incident. All except Ciri of course, since she hates using her full name

"A pleasure," the Doctor said. "I'm the Doctor."

"A Doctor you say?" Yennefer said, her eyebrows raising slightly. "Perhaps you could be of some help. Geralt here has quite a nasty series of cuts and punctures around his waist."

"Let me take a look," the Doctor said, leaning down to examine the wounds. "Don't worry, I won't touch the wounds," the Doctor said, reaching toward the bloodied skin. He pulled the mail away to get a closer look. "Nasty," he said, his nose and lip curling into a snarl. "Take him to the Silurians – er, the lizard people, that is. Er, the lizard people with the three crests on their heads that is," even the Doctor wasn't accustomed to having to specify which group of lizard people he was talking about. " They have some of the best cellular regeneration technology among the group. Tell them I sent you."

"Sorry, what did you say your name was again?" Yennefer asked.

"The Doctor," he said.

"Yes, but Doctor who?" she asked, eliciting quiet laughs from Brendan and I, which we did our best to restrain.

The Doctor waved his hands, "Nevermind about that, just the Doctor. They'll know who you're talking about."

"Very well," Yennefer said, no doubt intrigued about the mystery but more concerned with Geralt's health at the moment. "I thank you- and you again as well," she said, turning once more to Brendan.

"What's your name again?" Geralt asked.

"Brendan… Anderson…" he said.

"We'll keep in touch," Geralt said as Yennefer led him away. Triss and Ciri followed her

"Coming Patring?" Ciri asked.

"Just a moment," I said to her. She went off with the others, leaving me with Brendan and the Doctor.

Brendan put his hand on his forehead. "Oh my god…that was Geralt! And Yennefer! And Triss! And Ciri!"

"I know!" I hissed to him with my fists clenched. "Oh, have you met Gandalf yet!?"

"No!" Brendan said in a comically high pitched voice. "I just got here, like, an hour or two before the ants came. I was on the other side over there," he said, pointing off to his right.

"Oh, who did you see over there?" I said.

"Uh, let's see…" he said, putting his finger to his chin, "Oh, I saw the Guardians of the Galaxy…uh, who else…Oh, Snape was there, and I'm not sure but I think he was arguing with an elf…a Tolkien-style elf, that is, not a Harry Potter elf."

"I laughed. "Yup, seems very much in keeping with everything else that's been going on here."

"And just what exactly is that anyway?" he asked me.

"I'm not entirely sure," I said, glancing over at the Doctor. "But we do have some ideas…" I gave the Doctor a look that silently asked his permission to tell Brendan what we had figured out.

I really do need to learn how to be more subtle, because Brendan noticed and looked at the Doctor. "What?" he asked, turning to look at me, then the Doctor, then me again.

"We can talk about this later," the Doctor said. "Right now, we need to tend to the injured."

Brendan and I both nodded and followed the Doctor as he went to inspect the battle ground. We were put to work, helping to haul any and all individuals too weak to move themselves to a spot in between the huge, black-stoned face of the rocks beneath the tree. There, medical workers applied their skill with whatever tools were availed to them by their species: everything from simple mixtures of crushed herbs used to relieve pain to advanced regenerative therapies that could regrow lost limbs. At that point, it was simply a matter of staying out of the way of the medical practitioners.

We found the four Witcher characters with the Silurians, where a doctor was holding a small device close to the open wounds on Geralt's waist. He was spraying them with an odd pink mist. As the mist settled on the skin, the open gashes began to seal themselves up.

The Doctor rejoined not long after that. . "Looks like everyone's going to be okay. By next morning, they should all hopefully be back to their regular selves."

"Good, good," I sent, nodding my head. "It also looks like everyone's getting along better too."

The Doctor sighed and nodded. "Yes, I know. A common threat usually makes for fast friends. Let's just hope they stay this way."

"So, earlier it sounded like you were about to say something about how this all happened?" Brendan asked with a hopeful hint in his voice, leaning in close so that the others couldn't hear. It wasn't much a problem since they were busy with Geralt anyway.

The Doctor looked over at me. I said to him, "I think you can trust him. I've known Brendan for over 10 years, and he's one of my closest friends. Hell, he knows me so well, that he seems to have already figured it out himself, at least partially."

The Doctor looked at the both of us, considering the matter intensely. At last, he relented. "Very well," he said, "but Brendan, you must swear to keep this to yourself. This is just a hypothesis at the moment, but the very idea could prove to be potentially catastrophic in its implications!"

"Oh," Brendan said, not expecting such an extreme proposition. "Okay, then…I swear that I won't tell anybody."

The Doctor gave him one final look over, as if searching for hints of dishonesty. When none presented themselves, he said, "We believe that this world may in fact be a physical manifestations of Patrick's mind."

Brendan nodded slowly. "Makes about as much sense as anything else that's happened so far. In fact, probably more. How did you figure that out?"

"Essentially, all of the matter here is composed of the same bioelectrical energy which is built up of a specific code. The code is identical to the bioelectrical signal found in between neurons of the human brain," the Doctor said.

"Ah!" Brendan said, "I see."

"Do you really?" I asked, smiling at him.

He smiled back, "Well… mostly anyway."

The Doctor said, "But we still don't know what was able to turn simple electrical code into an entire physical reality, or how."

"I'm sure something will turn up," I said casually.

Before any of us could say anything more, a voice called out from overhead. It was a woman's voice, which was both sweet, yet strong. Everyone looked up to see the woman in question standing on the edge of a high pillar of basalt over the medical camp. She was tall, thin, and with ivory skin that contrasted sharply with her hair, black as midnight. Her gown was a vivid red, like the fake blood used in cheap horror films, and was splattered with patches of black. Though one might call her 'objectively' beautiful – that is, she possessed many of the physical traits that our society deems beautiful, such as luscious lips, a curving waist line nestled between fertile hips and ample breasts – the first feeling that came to my mind upon seeing her was apprehension.

"Praise!" she called out, clapping her hands, "Praise you all with great praise! Valiant creatures, one and all!" She paused as the attention of the creatures turned to her. Once she was sure that everyone was listening, she continued. "I am here on behalf of my master. He is called Zigur, and he is a lord of great power and wisdom. He extends an invitation to all of you to join him. You will receive care and healing, as well as food and drink to nourish your weary bodies."

A wave of murmuring passed over the crowd, the creatures conversing among themselves. A yautja was the first to speak up. "Of what kind is your master?" she asked, with many affirmative calls from throughout the crowd.

Her smile did not falter, having assuredly prepared for this question. "He is one of the maiar, a powerful spirit that has dwelt upon the earth for thousands of years. He has amassed all of his power and wisdom throughout all of this time. Indeed, there are many kinds among those here that have already shared in his great wealth and generosity! Would you not join your kin to reap the benefits of a great and benevolent lord?"

The mention that there were others of their various species had excited many of them. But a voice came up from the crowd. Gandalf strode up to the foot of her peak, his staff held firmly in hand. "How very generous indeed," he said, the irony positively dripping down his grey beard. "What did you say his name was again? 'Zigur?' Wizard? Come now, if he is as great as you say, why not use his true name?"

Her eyes flashed a streak of light before going black with rage. Nonetheless, she kept calm as she replied to him, "True, my master has many titles. But it is not the place of a humble servant to share any other name than that which he sees fit to share."

"If you will not deign to share his name with us, then I will!" Gandalf said, turning away from her and addressing the crowd. "Friends – be not taken in by the lies of this herald. She offers you nothing but torment and servitude in the name of one whom many of my world have long feared, and that name is Sauron!" he said, shouting the last word.

There were enough elves, dwarves, and men of Middle-earth in the crowd to make the dread of that name known to all. They cried and shouted in varying mixtures of fear and anger, bordering on panic. "Be gone!" many of them called out, "Be gone from this place!"

The woman stood tall, taking in a deep breath before speaking. "My friends, my friends! Does this decrepit conjurer speak for all of you? Are you not lords and ladies of your own? Would it not be best to journey with me to see my master with your own eyes, and decide for yourself if he is as this fool says he is?"

"Forgetting for a moment the many dangers that are teeming within the forest," Gandalf said, before anyone else could answer, "any poor souls who would follow you to Sauron would be met with ambush and then captivity! For Sauron despises free and happy peoples, of whatever kind they be. His soul object is domination – the domination of all life, no matter which world or another he happens to find himself in! Change of scenery does not lead to a change of heart!"

She was beginning to truly lose her composure now. Her fists clenched at her sides, and she hunched over slightly. "Be silent, storm crow!' she cried. "Speak not of domination when you yourself are coercing the choices of these people!"

Gandalf laughed, though it was sour and contemptuous. "How like a servant of Sauron to look upon counsel as coercion! I would never force any of these people to follow me. I merely believe that their actions should be guided by wisdom, and that they should hear all of the facts!" As he spoke these last words, he held up his staff and pointed it at her. It was as if something hard had struck the woman, and she stumbled back a few feet. But she grounded herself in place and resisted the force put on her by Gandalf. He spoke once more. "I name thee, Thuringwethil!" he said, his words eliciting horrific shrieks from the woman, "And I unmask you!"

A blinding white light flashed from the end of his staff, shining on the face of the woman. When the light fell over her, the shadow that was cast behind her on the rock face was vastly different. It was at least twice the size, and bore a pair of enormous wings. As if forced to conform to the outline of her new shadow, the clothing and skin of the woman melted away like candle wax, and something else emerged from underneath. Though her naked torso remained more or less human, bearing her large breasts and fine skin, her well-toned legs ended in five long toes, each one tipped in a rake-like claw. Above her chest, thick brown fur grew in dirty mats. Her arms and fingers lengthened, and membranes of skin grew in between them, turning them into wings. As her face dripped away, it revealed a pair of beady black eyes with a flat, pig-like nose between them, and a pair of wide, leaf-shaped ears. Her lips quivered, revealing sharp teeth in front.

Gasps and shouts rung out from the crowd as they beheld the humanoid bat perched on the rock, crouching on all limbs. Its nose and ears twitched frantically in all directions as it surveyed the many thousands of eyes looking at it. She spat something in an angry voice that sounded like a dry, hissing whisper that reverberated across the crowd, "Globas agh Lat igba uluk slav baji it kanin snagas ul loikas!" She crouched on all fours and catapulted herself with her folded wings off the rock and into the air, spreading her wings like two great sails of a ship. Opening her jaws to show off all of her savage fangs, she dived down toward Gandalf. But before she could get anywhere near him, something blasted from in front of her, striking her chest with a fiery flash of white light.

We all turned to look at Iron man flying toward her, his palm extended forward. She tumbled backwards in flight, hitting the basalt before stabilizing herself. Before she could realize what had hit her, Iron man zoomed past her, grabbing her ankles, and hurling her face-forward toward the hard stone surface. He did this four times before hoisting her away from him. She caught herself with her wings, flapping frantically to keep from plummeting to the ground below. Small rocket launchers rose up from plates on Iron man's shoulders, and he fired them at her. Each one exploded with a ball of orange flame and a tremendous bang. Ten separate blasts scorched her fur, and sent her soaring away over the jungle to the North.

When Iron man landed beside Gandalf, the crowd had devolved into fearful squabbling over what to do. He held out his hands and said, "Uh… you're welcome."

"I thank you," Gandalf said briskly, "but there is still much to be done. People, please!" he said, his voice rising over the cacophony. "We cannot descend into disagreement whenever a threat shows itself! There is strength in unity!"

"True," the Doctor said, striding toward Gandalf, and climbing on top of a rock so that all could more easily see him. "But I think we need to shift our priorities somewhat. Wherever we are, whenever we are is immaterial so long as we are in danger! Sauron is but one threat among many, some of which we have already had word of. There's no telling how many threats lurk within these trees! If we are to stand a chance, we must forego our tribal distrust of each other, and band together to form a union strong enough to repel these various dangers!" Looking around, Brendan and I saw many nods throughout the crowd. "Working together, we beat back those ants, who would have otherwise overwhelmed any one species. By forming a more cohesive community, we can build on our mutual strengths, compensate for our various weaknesses, and ensure our survival in this dangerous place!"

The nods were joined by several cries of approval. But the decision to unify was not met without skepticism. A Na'vi draped in a shawl of what appeared to be feathers stepped forward and said, "Who will lead such a union? We may share a common purpose, but we are not all of one mind. What will be done to ensure that the beliefs and needs of the few are not buried beneath those of the many, or the powerful?"

"A wise concern," Gandalf said, taking his place beside the Doctor. "I do not think a king would do well here. Rather, I would call a council. Each people will choose a representative, or more if need be, to speak on their behalf."

"But who would lead the council?" a Silurian piped up from the back.

"No one," the Doctor said. "The council doesn't need a leader. What it needs is a mediator – an impartial entity that can step in to settle disagreements, break ties, that sort of thing."

"Who will be this mediator?" one of the pterosapiens asked.

"Best let the members of the council decide that," the Doctor said. "We must move quickly – you will all have one day to choose your representative. We can't afford to wait any longer than that. Once the representatives are chosen, we will meet by the TARDIS to convene the first council."

All of the species grouped densely together to discuss the matter amongst themselves. Brendan and I looked at each other. He said to me, "I guess we should try to decide who best to lead the humans then?"

"Right," I said. "I wonder what the options are…"

"You may find you regret wondering about that," Yennefer said ironically as she approached with Ciri, Triss, and Geralt beside her. The wounds on Geralt's toros were completely healed over, with not even a hint of scarification. She continued, "Arguments over privileged positions rarely end well."

"Assuming they ever end at all," Triss said. "Radovid's persecution of the mages in the Northern realms is a direct result of Philippa Eilhart's attempt to seize power from his father." Then she shook her head. "There are no ends. Only actions and consequences."

A cluster of humans spontaneously formed not too far away from us. Figuring that they were attempting to settle the issue of who would best represent the human race before the Council, we moved toward it. We had to push our way through the crowd in order to get a good look at the open, circular space in the center of the group, where different people were making their case. When we arrived, we found Stark there arguing on behalf of himself, his face the only part of him exposed from the Iron Man suit.

"Well, that should surprise no one," I whispered to Brendan, who snickered.

"Who is this clown?" Geralt asked, looking at Stark and wrinkling his nose.

"His name is Tony Stark," I said. "He goes by Iron Man because of that suit. He' built it himself, he's a technological genius, but he's also a narcissistic, petulant man-child."

"Well...the suit's impressive at least," Yennefer said with a shrug.

Stark spoke. "Look, I'm not exactly saying that I should be the one to represent the human race…BUT… I am saying that I just so happen to be a billionaire, genius, playboy philanthropist, so, you know… hard not to see the value in that, am I right?"

Another figure walked toward Stark. He was dressed in a dark suit with silver highlights, a necklace of metallic teeth dangling from his neck. "You have no experience as a diplomat," he said in a thick, West African accent. "It is not enough to be impressive and successful. You have historically struggled to work well with others."

"Uh, excuse me, your highness," Stark said, exaggerating the title, "I don't remember you complaining about this when you were on _my _team."

Two ferocious-looking women dressed in red robes and carrying spears stepped up to King T'Challa's side. He held up his had to stay them. "I've made my share of mistakes. And I do not claim to be the best to represent humanity to all of these other beings. But for all of your strengths, Mr. Stark, you are not the best equipped to handle the situation."

There were many murmurs of agreement from the surrounding crowd. Accepting the judgement of the people, Stark declared, "Fine. I can accept that. But then, who is the best equipped?"

T'challa paused before answering. "We must seriously consider what we want to present about ourselves to the wider universe."

"Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist," Tony repeated. "I'm just saying – there are worse ways for a species to present itself."

T'challa ignored him. "We must draw upon our common values and our shared strengths in order to forge a human identity that we can all be proud of."

Another man stepped from the crowd, dressed in a blue, velvet cloak with seven white stars on it. His hair was light, and his eyes were grey. "Whomever we choose must be strong and true of mind and will. For he will be brought to bear before the will of a hundred other peoples, and he must not relent on our behalf."

"Of course, 'he' might end up being a 'she'" Yennefer called out.

Boromir, captain of Gondor turned to face her. "Is that so?" he asked. "In my city, the women folk are not normally involved in such matters."

"Then I pity the women of your city," Yennefer said. "And the men too, for their part, no doubt depriving yourselves of some of the best minds and voices among you. But as a fact, there are extremely few people that I would trust with this matter – most of them are women."

The voices rising from the crowd showed Boromir that he wasn't going to win on that point, so he doubled back to his first point. "Nevertheless, our ambassador must be stout and unwavering in their position."

"On that point at least, I agree with you," Yennefer said. "There will be many voices at the table. Ours must be loud enough to be heard among the others."

"Uh, can I just make one quick point here?" another man said, stepping forward. He was burly, and dressed in a dark suit and tie, with a black mustache over his lips. His hands were held up, as if warding off potential shots. "I'm certainly not saying that I should be the person… but I do think that the person, whoever it is, should preferably have a high level of scientific literacy. I mean, just speaking personally, I would feel much more comfortable being represented by someone who had at least a basic understanding of how the universe works, as well an understanding and appreciation for the scientific method."

Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson had made what sounded like a reasonable request to me, but it seemed to spark much bickering from the crowd. It was then that I realized that grouping all of these different groups of humans together, from various different points in time, space, and imagination, wasn't practical for our purposes. 'A basic understanding of how the universe worked' was something that not everyone agreed on, even when restricted to just my time and place. Imagine the discrepancies between people like Yennefer and Boromir. Their universes involved the workings of magic. Tysons' request was a nice idea that would undoubtedly prove unworkable in practice.

To my right, Brendan yawned. "I can't imagine this being resolved any time soon," he said to me.

"I can't imagine this being resolved in a day," I added.

Triss said. "So many different points of view, most of which can't be reconciled. We're going to be here for some time."

"We nothing," Geralt said, his arms folded. "This is a waste of time."

Yennefer looked at him with a stern expression. "I understand it's tedious, but this is a very serious matter. Whoever is chosen will represent all of humanity on a universal stage, which includes you, like it or not."

"No one represents me but me," Geralt said firmly. "If they manage to pick someone good for the job, great, but I doubt it. More likely we'll end up with some knob who cares more for his own interests. If so, I won't stick around. My place is on the path, always has been."

"All the same, what happens here could have greater, wider implications for what happens going forward," Yen said. "You should at least stay until a decision is reached."

"Fine," Geralt said. "But if this degrades into the usual political bullshit, I'd rather take my chances in the jungle. In the meantime, I'm going to bed."

Yawning again, Brendan said, "I think I'm with Geralt on this one."

"Same," I said.

"Anyone else?" Geralt asked. "Ciri, Triss?"

"Not just yet, Geralt," Triss said, her hands on her hips. "I think I'll stick around for another hour or two, just for shits and giggles."

"Ciri?" Geralt asked her again.

"Not just yet," Ciri said. "Not too much longer though. I'll catch up."

"Sure thing," Geralt said. "Come on boys, let's get some shut eye."

We followed Geralt out from the group back toward the small camp we had stayed the previous night. Brendan took off his cloak and turned it into a pillow, while I was left with nothing but my arms and a clump of dead leaves.. I sighed and said, "It feels like the more we learn, the less sense everything makes."

Geralt said, "Sometimes the best thing to do is stop trying to make sense of things, and just go with it."

"I guess," I said, shrugging. "But I'd sleep a lot easier if I knew what was going on."

"I'd sleep a lot easier if there weren't giant ants out there," Brendan said in reply.

"You handled yourself well-enough," Geralt said. "Not the best technique I've ever seen, but not terrible. Guessing you only just started training?"

Brendan actually laughed. "I haven't trained at all! Truth be told, I never thought in a million years I'd ever actually use this sword. I bought for more…symbolic reasons."

"Where Brendan and I come from, swords aren't weapons of war anymore. We have far worse things for that," I added for context. "Swords haven't been used in centuries, replaced with more…methodical and efficient ways of slaughter."

"Interesting," Geralt said. "So then what does it mean to you? What's it supposed to be a symbol for?"

Brendan paused, his hand moving unconsciously to the sword's hilt, his fingertips pressing gently into the top. "There is… a man. A great captain of a mighty city, who once said something that I've taken to heart. 'I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend.' To me, the sword is a symbol of the courage and love that drives people to do what's right in the face of danger and darkness."

"Very romantic," Geralt said, "Though I've known just as many cowards and thugs who'd use a sword to cut down innocent people for a scrap of food or a few crowns."

Brendan nodded. "I know. But any tool for good can be turned to evil use."

I stepped in to see if I could make it easier for Geralt to understand. "Brendan's ideals are similar to those of the knights of Toussaint, if that helps."

"I see," Geralt said. "Wish I could share in your idealism, just seen too much cruelty in the world."

"I can understand that," Brendan said, nodding slowly. "And I'm certainly not trying to make it seem like I don't know how horrible the world is, or can be. It's an ideal, not a reality. But it's an ideal worth striving for, at least for me."

"Fair enough," Geralt said, "But now that you're in a place like this, it might help to learn how to actually use that sword."

"True, true," Brendan said.

"If you wanted, I'd be willing to show you a few things," Geralt said.

Brendan sat up instantly, his eyes wider than I'd ever seen them. "Really? You'd teach me how to sword fight?"

"I'd show you a few techniques, yes," Geralt said, trying not to get Brendan excited. "After all, you did save my life. I'd call that a fair trade."

"Absolutely!" Brendan agreed. "When would you want to start?"

"We can start tomorrow, while the rest of those pompous buffoons keep deliberating. Once they reach a decision, we can take it from there."

"Sounds great!" Brendan said. "Damnit, now I'm too excited to sleep!"

"Try to anyway, it's gonna be a long day," Geralt said, lying down on his side, resting his head on his arm.

Brendan and I laid down next to each other. The excitement of Geralt's offer had awakened us both, so we kept whispering to each other even after Geralt had gone to sleep. I said, "You lucky motherfucker!"

Brendan laughed quietly. "Guess I should be thanking you, since this is your world after all."

"Oh," I said, dismissing his thanks with my hand. "Phooey on me. That was all you and Geralt. You kicked some serious ass today!"

"Do ants even have asses?" Brendan asked.

"I'm not sure…probably? I mean, they have to get rid of the waste somehow I suppose…"

"What do you think is going to happen tomorrow?" Brendan asked.

I paused, thinking before giving him my answer. "I'm really not sure," I said. "I think there's just too many people there to come to any kind of resolution, especially if they only have a day for it."

"I think you're right," Brendan said. "But if they don't choose someone, what then?"

"Who knows? Most of the uh… people here are human, so it wouldn't really be fair for us to just be left behind. Plus the Doctor cares too much about humans to exclude us."

"Same with Gandalf."

"Right. But hey, for all we know, by the time they're supposed to have a solution, maybe we'll all be attacked by…I don't know, a giant robot samurai, or Godzilla, or a…uh…an army of….orthodox Jewish scorpions? I don't know…"

Brendan had to bite down on his knuckles to keep from laughing. When he was finished, he said, "So I know the Doctor mentioned his guess about what happened…but did he say anything about how it happened? Or why?"

I shook my head. "None at all. I don't even have the faintest idea as to how any of this could happen, and from talking to the Doctor, it sounded like he didn't really have any clue either."

"That is… somewhat troubling."

"Yeah… and we may have to accept the possibility that this may not just be a one of incident."

"What do you mean?"

"Remember the conjunction of the spheres?" I, referencing the cosmological event that brought magic into the world of the Witcher. "What if this is something like that? What if this i just gonna be the world we live in now?"

Brendan didn't answer at first. "I hadn't thought about it that way..I just kind of assumed that we'd all be able to go home at some point."

"So did I," I said, "And maybe we will. But maybe this is just going to be the world we live in from now on?"

"Maybe…" Brendan said, clearly troubled by the fact.

I decided that, for the sake of our tired minds, it would be best to change subjects. "But the Doctor's right. We have more pressing concerns at the moment. And for us, that means getting some sleep, so I'll see you in the morning."

Brendan yawned yet again and said, "See ya."

"Oh, and uh… sorry in advance about the snoring…"


	5. Chapter 4 - The Universal Council

**Chapter 4" The Universal Council of Intelligence**

The night passed by miserably as I tried in vain to fall asleep. I would wake up every hour or so to find that I had rolled into an uncomfortable position, or that it had grown colder, or that the camps nearby were talking too loudly. This staggered sleep came to an end shortly after sunrise, when I decided to get up despite still being quite exhausted. I knew I'd be feeling the urge to nap later in the day.

Geralt was up before me, while Brendan was still sleeping. In fact, when I first woke up, Geralt was nowhere to be found, though Ciri, Triss, and Yennefer had all returned and were all fast asleep. Geralt returned about a half hour or so after I woke with something hoisted over his shoulder. Straining my eyes in the low light, I could make out a fat body with long, thin legs dangling down past his shoulder. He swung it down onto the hard ground next to where the camp fire had burned two nights back. The sound of the body hitting the earth was enough to wake everyone with a startling gasp or cry.

"Morning everyone," Geralt said, crouching down and taking out his hunting knife. "Breakfast will be ready soon."

Yennefer narrowed her eyes in a dark glare. "You really are uncouth, Geralt."

"It's the wild that's uncouth," Geralt said, "I just live in it. Say Patrick, come here." I got up and moved closer to him. "Don't suppose whether or not you know if this thing is safe to eat?"

"Can I get some light?" I asked Geralt. Without speaking, he piled some fresh logs onto the heap of ash, and with a casual flick of his wrist, a hearty fire was crackling among the wood. When the orange light was bright enough, I got a much better look at the creature.

All in all, the animal was about the size of a labrador retriever, though its body was rounder. The feet were probably the strangest feature of all; they had three toes with hard unguals on the tip of each one. It's short neck led up to a head that was vaguely horse-shaped.

"Hmm...I'm not positive, but I think this is some kind of ancient horse-relative. Something like _Hyracotherium_ or _Eohippus_!" I said, marveling at the prehistoric perissodactyl.

"So not poisonous then?" Geralt asked.

I shook my head. "No more than Roach," I said, mentioning the name Geralt gave to all of his horses.

"How do you know about Roach?" Geralt asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Ciri told me," I said automatically, the lie coming so quickly it was almost unconscious.

Yennefer sniffed. "I trust you won't be offended if I abstain from this particular meal? I find I don't have much of an appetite at the moment…"

"Your loss," Geralt said, offering her a playful smile. "Once I find out the best way to prepare it, you'll be begging for a slice."

"I'm sure I'll survive somehow..." Yennefer said crossing her arms.

I turned away to look out toward the surrounding masses of various beings congregating around us. Away toward the rock face, I saw the rabble of humans from the previous night still gathered together, their dull roar confirming my suspicion that progress wasn't going to be made. I sat down beside Brendan and said, "Doesn't exactly seem to be going well."

"No surprises there," Brendan said, his voice still groggy.

"Doesn't look like any of the other species have had this problem," I said, scanning the crowd quickly and seeing no other major collections. "Which makes sense. Humans make up the vast majority of the population around the tree. All of the other species number only a few hundred, at the most."

"Yeah, I'm betting the other creatures are also more…uh, like homogeneous in thought," he said.

"True, true," I said, nodding. "Especially considering we have so many different cultures represented for humanity, many of them not even from the same universe. It was too much to ask of us, really."

"Right…" Brendan said. It sounded as if he was contemplating something else, based on the distant tone of his voice.

"I guess we should be glad that they haven't started killing each other…"

"That we know of…" Brendan added with a grim chuckle.

"Oh dear god, I can only imagine," I said, putting my face in my hands. "Oh well…maybe if we get lucky we'll finally find out what the hell's going on around here anyway…"

"So, one thing I'm not entirely clear on… how sure are you and the Doctor that this is your mind?"

I rubbed my hand through my hair, grimacing at the amount of grease that had built up in nearly 3 days without a shower. "He performed a test. Basically, everything in this place is registering some kind of bioelectrical signal. He examined the neural activity in my brain and found that it matched the bioelectrical signature found in this world…to be honest, it sounds mostly like technobabble to me."

Brendan snickered. "Which is to be expected, of course."

"Either way though, I know it's the case. There hasn't been a single person or creature here that I haven't been able to recognize. That has to mean something."

"It's just…so bizarre," Brendan said, immediately rolling his eyes at himself. "I mean, that goes without saying, of course, but…well, I guess I just wish I understood it more."

"You and me both," I said.

Brendan and I both decided to pass on having a slice of stem-horse for breakfast, despite the good roasting that Geralt had given it. Thankfully, it appeared perfectly safe to eat, as Geralt, and Ciri all demonstrated. I can't speak for the others, but I objected on the basis that I'm simply a very picky eater. Once breakfast was over, I went off with Geralt and Brendan to begin their training. We had to find a nice open space to practice, since this would involve a lot of swinging and twirling around. There was a nice spot toward the outskirts of the group, close to the treeline that suited our purposes well enough. I stood against a tree while Geralt and Brendan stood out in the middle, facing one another.

"Before we begin," Geralt said, "I have to warn you. My technique is structured around my heightened reflexes. Since you haven't undergone the Witcher mutations, you won't be able to do the kinds of moves that I can. What I'll be showing you is a sort of toned-down version."

Brendan nodded. "Right. Is this like what you taught Ciri?"

"Sort of," Geralt said, "Although Ciri can compensate for some of the discrepancies with her teleporting abilities."

"Which I am unfortunately lacking," Brendan said, pointing a finger up in the air. I couldn't help but smile.

"Also keep in mind that Witchers learn a variety of other skills to increase and complement their skills with a blade – everything from alchemy to ballet. We don't have time for any of that, so this will be a very condensed, distilled lesson."

"Gotcha," Brendan said.

"Now," Geralt said, drawing his steel sword from behind his back. "Let's begin." Brendan reached for his sword, but Geralt held up his hand. "Not yet," he said. "First, you're going to learn the various ways that a charging enemy might try to strike you. Once we've gone through them all, I'll show you how to dodge the blows in a way that sets you up for the perfect attack."

I stood back against the tree and watched as Geralt charged at Brendan in slow motion, demonstrating several different potential assaults. I lost count after the 20th, which was nowhere near the total number. Thankfully Geralt consolidated the point by pointing out that a lot of the attacks could be categorized based on the best way to avoid them: Use a left side step for these 5, et cetera. Brendan's long legs and lanky fame were of great aid, allowing him to more easily avoid the point of the blade, but his cloak was cumbersome. Geralt suggested that Brendan take off the cloak, but Brendan refused, saying that he thought it was best to learn while wearing it. Geralt conceded, and I could see why. Many of his friends – as well as some of his foes – fought with ease in cloaks and capes.

I have to admit, even though the idea of your best friend being taught how to sword fight by one of your favorite fictional characters sounds like a really cool thing, it did become a little boring after a while. I think I was there for about three hours before finally deciding that I was getting antsy. Not to say that Brendan and Geralt weren't making progress, they were. Brendan was quite the fast learner. Hard to say if endless hours watching_ Lord of the Rings_ and playing the _Witcher_ helped him or hindered him, but by that third hour, he was practically pirouette-ing from Geralt's blows. They'd even gotten to the point where Geralt identified where on his foe Brendan should strike once reaching safety. But there are some things that are infinitely more interesting to do than to watch, and this was definitely one of them.

I decided to head off toward the crowd of bickering humans, on the off chance that any significant progress had been made. In that regard, I was severely disappointed. If anything, it had just become more apparent how many different points of view there were, and how many of them would be difficult – if not impossible- to reconcile. That's not to say that I didn't gain anything by checking it out. A few new faces had appeared in the meanwhile, and it was a delight to see them at least. Most prominently among the newcomers was Wonder Woman, who was standing in the center of the circle, speaking to Daenerys Targaryian. I spotted Ciri standing in the midst of the crowd, so I made my way over to her.

"How's training going?" Ciri asked.

"Not bad," I said. "Brendan's a fast learner, and Geralt's a pretty thorough instructor...but I don't need to tell you that."

"He should just be glad he doesn't have Lambert for a tutor," Ciri said with a laugh.

"What about here? Any progress?"

"Take a guess," she said sardonically.

Daenerys spoke. "I have more experience in this regard than you realize," she said to Wonder Woman. "I have brought together warriors from nearly every corner of the East of my world, though I myself was from foreign lands. I understand that which is desired by the hearts of all people." She stood tall in a dark gown, with silver hair twisted in various braids.

Wonder Woman responded. "I do not deny your experiences, nor do I undermine them. But the range of beings present here is beyond the scope of any here. Even I, who have traveled to many worlds, and spoken with many beings, have never had to deal directly with so many different creatures. Priority should be given to those who have experience dealing with the inhabitants of other worlds."

"Not a bad point," I murmured.

Ciri nodded. "She's been very sensible so far. I very much like her."

I smiled. "I can see why."

"What about the other woman?" Ciri asked. "What's her deal?"

"She's the daughter of a king who was overthrown by his subjects. She and her brother were sent into exile, but now she's seeking to reclaim what she believes to be her birthright."

"I don't care much for her," Ciri said. "She seems a bit…entitled, in that sort of annoying way that royals often are."

"Well, you'd know all about that, wouldn't you Princess Cirila?" I said with a sly smile. She elbowed me lightly in the ribs. "But nah, I think you're right. I think she's a little cocky and entitled…admittedly most royals are. I don't know, I guess it's just that there are many who consider her a savior, when I think she's just another power-hungry conqueror."

The crowd quickly settled down back to its usual unruly collection of constant in-fighting as more and more came forward to make their points. Many voices were heard over the next few hours, some more qualified than others to speak on the matter: Professor Abraham Van Helsing, Cornelius Fudge, Ellen Ripley. If you don't know who those people are, don't worry – they were just as successful at advancing the conversation as all those who'd come before. There were even a few real-world politicians who thought they'd give it a try – former New Jersey Governor, Chris Christie, and US senator from Vermont, Bernie Sanders both tried to offer their opinions on the matter, but it was clear that both of them were way out of their element (though for different reasons).

I may sound mean when I talk about all of these people, but at least they were trying. It's an important point to make because not everyone was, and some were downright counterproductive. Some of the colonial marines from _Avatar_ were advocating that we forget trying to make alliances altogether, based on their less-than-friendly previous experiences with the Na'vi. Perhaps most ridiculous of all were Dr. Clayton Forrester and his assistant, TV's Frank, who at one point proposed building a doomsday device fueled by dirty laundry to subjugate the rest of the creatures. Suffice it to say, they didn't make much headway with this concept.

After A while, Geralt and Brendan joined us, along with Yennefer and Triss. When Geralt took his place beside Yennefer he said, "Somehow, I'm not surprised."

"Snark won't help anyone, Geralt," Yennefer said, side-eyeing him.

"How were the lessons?" I asked Brendan.

"Exhausting," he said, which was evident based on his shining forehead and red face. "Didn't even get to the swords. I spent the whole time learning how to avoid attack…I started to get dizzy at one point."

"I mean, taking the cloak and sweatshirt off might help," I said playfully. "It's got to be at least 80 degrees out."

He shrugged. "You know, it's weird. I haven't felt especially warm at all."

"Really?' I asked. "Lucky you. I'd give anything for a pair of shorts. Too many more days of this, and I might just ditch the jeans altogether."

"In a crowd like this, who would even notice?" Brendan said, laughing.

As the sky began to darken, a sound began to rise over the crowd. It was a raspy, groaning noise, like something sharp being pulled over wire. It rose and fell in a rhythmic manner reminiscent of breathing. Something began to materialize faintly out of thin air – the tall, rectangular outline of the TARDIS. It faded and then appeared again, then faded and reappeared. It landed with a tremendous bang, and the Doctor's head popped out from behind the door. No one said anything.

He looked to one side, then the other. "Well?" No response. He stepped out of the doorway, his posture rigid. "What have you decided?" A quiet murmur passed through the crowd but there was still no answer. The Doctor sneered venomously. "I should have known," he said, "I should have known better than to think you lot would be able to come together to choose a worthy representative."

Many in the crowd took offense to this. A few voices rose up, spouting things like, "That's not fair!"

"We need more time!"

"There's too many of us!"

But the Doctor ignored them all. "You've all seen what we're up against! I had hoped that a common sense of danger would be enough for you to overcome your oh so numerous reasons for hating each other. It seems I was far too optimistic – you'd all rather stand around fighting with each other until something came along and wiped you out than work together! All of the other species have chosen their ambassadors. Humanity alone is the only one infantile enough to waste their time over petty squabbles!" More voices rose up in protest, but the Doctor continued to ignore them. He held up his sonic screwdriver to his mouth and used it like a microphone allowing his voice to overcome the rest. "You have forfeited the chance to choose your voice for the Council. I therefore invoke my right as mediator to choose your spokesperson for you."

"What gives you that right?!" one person shouted out.

"You did," the Doctor said, addressing the whole crowd. "You gave me that right when you failed to choose for yourselves. If you're going to behave like children, then you will be treated like children!" At this point, the masses had begun to boo the Doctor and hurl many choice profanities his way, but he did his best to ignore them. "You will either accept my decision-" he proclaimed, "or the human race will go without a voice at the council!"

The crowd didn't grow any quieter until it was clear that the Doctor was resolute in his position, and the prospect of being left out of the discourse was quite unsavory for most of them. After things had grown calmer, a single voice called out from the somewhere in the midst of the mob. "Who then?"

The Doctor didn't answer at first. Instead, he scanned the audience with his penetrating eyes, sitting intently beneath his stern brow. He looked one way, then the other, and then in five more ways. After about a minute or so, he settled on me and our eyes locked. He raised his hand and pointed directly at me. "You!" Of course, all of those around me weren't immediately sure who he was talking about. Anyone even remotely close to the path of his finger inquired if he meant them. To clarify, he said, "You, tall, green shirt, glasses!"

I knew why he had chosen me, but everyone else (save Brendan, and the _Witcher_ folks) was dumbfounded. The looks ranged from shocked, confused, furious, and even insulted. I stepped forward toward him, and as it became clear to the whole crowd who he had chosen, there was an instant eruption of protest from throughout the group. There was a sense of utter betrayal; they had conceded to allow him to choose for them, and he had ignored the hundreds of more qualified candidates in favor of a total unknown.

Stark strode forward, getting right up into the Doctor's face. "Listen up, Doc," he said, "You want to step in and play babysitter? Fine. But we have a right to know why you chose this…kid over anyone else."

"What makes you think you could even understand my reasoning?" the Doctor shot back. "You've all shown that you don't know how to decide. I might as well try to explain the importance of a flu shot to an infant."

The Doctor tried to step aside, but Stark stepped to intercede. "Not good enough. Tell us, now."

The Doctor was definitely not impressed. He lazily flicked his sonic screwdriver, and instantly the Iron Man suit began to disintegrate, the nanotechnology receding back to its source inside the glowing device implanted in Stark's chest. Caught off guard by being so casually disarmed, Stark stumbled back, now revealed to be wearing nothing so impressive as a pair of Blue Jeans and a Black Sabbath T-shirt.

"I don't have time for this," the Doctor said. "You'll see soon enough."

The Doctor easily side-stepped the 'naked' Stark with me in tow, making his way to the TARDIS. I caught sight of Stark's expression as he passed me, a look that was equal parts suspicion and disbelief. The crowd quickly descended back into chaos, but that all vanished once the TARDIS doors were closed behind us. The Doctor turned to look at me and said, "They took that better than I expected!"

He passed by me as he made his way to the control console. As he began to fiddle with the controls, I noticed the way his posture immediately relaxed, and his expression had changed suddenly from hard to satisfied. The change was so abrupt, that it jogged something in my mind. "You…you knew this would happen?"

"I thought you said you knew me," the Doctor said, turning back to look at me for a second.

"So…this was all just a…a ploy?" I asked.

"Correct," he said. "This is your mind, Patrick. In a sense, this is your world. You need to be involved in this council in some way."

"But does that mean I have to be the representative for humanity?" I asked. "Why not get someone else, and I can just…I don't know, serve in an advisory capacity?"

"There are too many humans here. Too many time periods, too many nations, races, ethnicities, religions, fictions…that lot would never be able to pick someone. They would need no less than 50 different ambassadors to represent all of their interests. That is simply too cumbersome, and time is of the essence."

"Still though…I can hardly be an adequate substitute…." This was partly modesty and partly sheer terror of the responsibility that would be piled on top of my shoulders.

"No, I'm afraid not," the Doctor said. Funnily enough, even considering that it was me who pointed this out, I couldn't help but still feel a little dejected. "But you'll be better than no one, and those are the only two options for the moment unfortunately. Don't worry though – I promise, I'll help you as much as I can. After all, I daresay I have quite a bit of experience dealing with the human race. I think I've proven I have their best interests at heart."

"I daresay I agree," I said, nodding to him, "Thank you Doctor."

He nodded once to me as he put his hands on two levers. "Now...Are you ready to meet the council?"

"As I'll ever be, I guess," I said, swallowing a lump in my throat.

The Doctor made his way toward the front doors and pushed them open, letting in a stream of bright white light. I shielded my eyes initially, giving them time to adjust. When I lowered my hand again, I saw that we had traveled to a high point on one of the rock faces overlooking the area around the tree. All of the species we'd yet encountered had been brought to bear at the council. There were a pair of Na'vi, a male and a female, each one more elaborately dressed than most of their kin. There was only one Yautja: a female who's great age was betrayed by her greying skin and broken mandible. Galadriel was there, no doubt there to represent the elves, and she was speaking to a dwarf with a long brown beard, and a crown on his head. Three pterosapiens had been chosen each one standing stork like upon the rocks, next to Gwahir of the Eagles. Treebeard had been chosen for the ents, no doubt because he was their eldest. All of these creatures, and more, turned their attention to the Doctor and I once we had appeared.

"Ah, Doctor," Gandalf said, turning away from a tall, black humanoid whom he had been speaking with. "Are we ready to begin?"

"We are," the Doctor said, "Let's all form a circle please." The creatures all graciously accepted the Doctor's request. I found myself standing next to him and an odd, bipedal lizard-like being, bearing a long snout and tail. "Welcome Friends, old and new, to the first meeting of the Universal Council of Intelligence."

_Nice Name, _I thought to myself.

"I ask that we please go around the circle and state our names, titles, and places of origin so that we can better understand one another. I will begin – I am The Doctor. I am a Timelord from the planet, Gallifrey, in the constellation of Casterboros. I have over 2000 years of experience traveling through time and space, dealing with hundreds of species."

There were many impressed murmurings throughout the group. The dwarf sitting opposite me spoke up, "Ye travel through time? That is, you can travel to the past, and to the future, as a dwarf may travel along the Great Green Road?"

The Doctor nodded. "One thing that will become very evident is that our various peoples have produced vastly differing kinds of technology. Many of these things may seem impossible, or even frightening, but given our current circumstances, I would advise that we all keep an open mind."

"But how do you do it?" the dwarf asked. "Is it some magic, or work of craft? If so, I'd very much like to see it for myself, as would many others I'd imagine."

"You already have," the Doctor said, pointing the TARDIS, "That is my time machine. Under normal circumstances it can travel to any point in time and space."

The creatures all looked at the blue box with great interest, with expressions ranging from admiration to intimidation, and even hints of envy. A voice from a few bodies over to my right whispered, "The ship of the gods!"

"How does it work?" the dwarf asked, growing more curious.

The Doctor held up his hand. "Forgive me, but this summit is concerned with more important matters than the intertermporal capabilities of a Type-40 TARDIS. I will simply say that it is a…skill of my people. My people build time ships in the same way that Elves weave story from song, and the way dwarves forge art from the rock of the earth."

The dwarf smiled and nodded, saying, "Aye, I'll leave it then. We all have our secrets after all."

A Silurian woman spoke up next. "But if you can travel to any point in time and space, then surely you should be able to pin point our exact location in time-space, and perhaps even find us a way back to our homes?"

"You're forgetting the key point of what I said – the TARDIS can travel to any point in time and space _under normal circumstances._ These are, to put it lightly, not normal circumstances. The TARDIS' traveling capabilities are severely limited. It is unable to travel more than a few hundred million miles in any direction, and can't travel through time more than a few days."

"Why?" a voice called out.

"I'm not sure yet," the Doctor said, "But I have my suspicions. I believe that we may all currently be trapped within a pocket universe – a small world cut off from all others. This universe is too small for the TARDIS to travel through effectively: like a tall ship trying to sail in a bath tub. Any attempts to travel further causes causal-spacial disruption." More voices called out for further explanation, but the Doctor waved them away. "That's enough for now. As I said, that's merely a hypothesis. I have to learn more before I can determine what's truly at work here. I think it's best we move on to the next member of the council," he said, nodding to Gandalf.

Gandalf spoke loudly and clearly through his layers of beard. "I am Gandalf the Grey, one of the Wizards from across the sea to the west. It is my duty to counsel all of the free peoples through wisdom and guidance, services which I offer to all of you humbly," he said, bowing.

An asymmetrical being eyed Gandalf curiously with his lop-sided gaze. "Wizard? I'm not quite clear on this word?"

"Oh?" Gandalf asked, "What is it you need clarity on?"

"What is a wizard?" the asymmetrical asked, "What does it do?"

"Well, as I said before, my duty is to help people through counsel. I possess- if I might be permitted to boast – great power, but I do not use my power to coerce others to do as I say. My task is to help the free peoples defend themselves from the evils of Sauron and his servants, but if I can offer my counsel against other evils as well, then I would do so gladly."

"What sort of power do you have?" the Silurian asked.

The Doctor decided to step into answer. Like me, he was probably sensing the discrepancy that was arising between fantasy and science fiction. "Gandalf has the power to do many things that would otherwise be considered impossible without the aid of technology, such as wielding fire or generating light."

The Doctor was cut off by a bang and a flash of red light. Several red sparks began to flicker within the circle, forming themselves into the shape of fiery butterflies. They twirled and danced from one Counsel member to the next, each one intrigued by the demonstration. "A small example," Gandalf said, clearly satisfied with himself.

A few of the creatures stroked their chins or nodded their heads in interest. I got the distinct feeling that many of them wanted to know how Gandalf could do such things, but they knew there were other issues at hand. One of the pterosapiens perched upon the rock face piped up, "And you say you came from the West. West of where, exactly? What is the name of your planet?"

"If you mean to say, what is the name of my world, then that is called Arda, in the elven tongue, and I come from Valinor, West of the realm of Middle-earth," Gandalf said patiently.

"Middle-earth?" asked an old Yautja in a characteristic gurgling snarl. "Where – or what – is that in relation to Earth?"

Gandalf paused for a moment, and I could feel that he was struggling to understand the question. Indeed, it was a question that Tolkien fans, both casual and scholarly, had wrestled with for years. Tolkien himself had said at different points that Middle-earth was meant as a mythic prehistory to the real world, and also that it was a total fantasy, separate from our world. As Gandalf had yet to answer, I ended up blurting out a response of my own.

"While there are many similarities between Earth and Middle-earth, I think it's best to view them as separate worlds for the moment."

All the eyes – and other sensory organs – turned toward me. There have been a few cases in which I've held the attention of an audience, but I can safely say that none were as intimidating as having at least a dozen different sapient species of all shapes and sizes staring directly at me. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, shirking my shoulders slightly. But the Yautja seemed satisfied with my answer at any rate. She nodded once, then stood still.

"Yes," the Doctor said, clearing his throat "Perhaps it's best we move on to our next member."

Next up was the black creature Gandalf had been speaking with. It was largely humanoid in appearance, though with a bulbous forehead, and wide set eyes with a dull glaze in each one. I was expecting it to open its mouth to talk, but this never happened. Instead, its thoughts began to materialize in my head spontaneously. At first, I suspected telepathy, but then I noticed a series of pungent smells wafting through the circle. The creature was actually communicating through scent, and the TARDIS translation matrix was so powerful, it was able to translate the smells into words for us.

"I am Ome, Chancellor of the United Symbiote Federation," it said (if 'said' is the right word). "One important difference between myself and my people and the rest of you is that we are a symbiotic species. I – the being speaking to you – am the organism sitting atop my host, who serves only to facilitate my will. I therefore ask that, when speaking to us, you please look at us, not the host."

I hadn't noticed at first, but it was right. What I had initially mistook for a wide, fatty forehead was, in reality, an entirely separate creature. It clung to the skull of its human-like host with grasping fingers and toes, and its face was flat, with wide-set beady black eyes, and long, thin nostrils in the middle. Its nose was also flat, and drooped down over the host's face almost like the bill of a duck. It was at that point that I recognized the creature. It – or rather, they – were a symbiote being from _All Tomorrows_. Both the host and the small, rotund master were descendants of the human race.

Across from him was a male Na'vi who stepped back and looked at the symbiote in horror. "What is this?!" he asked, pointing at the being. "Devilry! Monster! Parasite!"

That last word seemed to infuriate the symbiote, who stood up tail and glared at the Na'vi. "How dare you?! We are not parasites! We provide safety, health, and comfort to our hosts! They know nothing but bliss!"

"Slaves!" the Na'vi shot back, as if not hearing what the symbiote had said. "They are slaves!"

"Tell me, my good sir," the symbiote said, facetiously, "Do you use beasts? For food? For utility? For transport?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then I will hear nothing more from you. Our hosts are beasts of burden, no different than those used by practically all species throughout the universe. They are simple creatures, who would otherwise spend their lives doing nothing more than sucking worms from holes in the ground. We are helpless without their service – and in return we make sure to treat them with great care."

Before the Na'vi could say anything else, the Doctor stepped in. "As I've already said, we must all keep an open mind. There are obviously great differences in our biology alone, not even getting into our cultures, or mores, or politics. There are some here who may find the life of the symbiotes unsavory, and they are entitled to that feeling. But bear in mind how unsavory we may all look to him, strutting around without a host to guide us. To him, it must look like we're all walking around headless! So please, everyone – even if one of our circle seems strange or unsettling – keep an open mind, for now at least."

The Na'vi didn't look placated, but he was at least content to keep quiet. The symbiote continued. "If I may continue…our people are members of the Second Galactic Alliance, established by the Venatorials and the Legless Folk. Many of its members are here. We have been able to forge strong relationships with these other species, and I'm sure that we can do the same with the rest of you."

"Very good," The Doctor said. "Next?"

After him was Galadriel. "I am Galadriel, the Lady of Lothlorien, Guardian of the wood. Much is here that is strange to me, so I will say no more. For now, I am content to listen," and she bowed her head.

"Who do you speak for?" The Yautja asked her.

"The elves of Middle-earth."

"Please tell us more about your people," the Yautja said. "I am having trouble seeing how you elves are different from the humans."

"This I can understand," Galadriel said, and to my astonishment, she actually smiled at the hideous alien monster with amusement. "After all, elves have trouble telling one man from another, as most folk would have trouble telling apart sheep, save for shepherds. Elven folk do not die as mortal men, and will endure until the ending of all things. Elves are wiser than men, and more gifted in certain things, such as song."

"You're immortal?" the symbiote blurted out in amazement. She nodded. "How is that possible? Even the most powerful life-extending technology can't work past a few centuries. Do you transfer your consciousness somehow?"

She just stared at him, having no idea what he had said. Once again, I decided to step in. "Nope," I said, "Elves are just naturally immortal. As for how, well…it's the same way Gandalf can conjure butterflies from sparks. It's just sort of how they are. It may seem like magic, and that may be the right word for it, but…well, there it is," I said, gesturing to both Gandalf and Galadriel.

The directive to keep an open mind was starting to set in for most in the group. Having seen Gandalf do his little fireworks trick, they were starting to understand that there were somethings that just weren't going to get a satisfactory answer. The symbiote actually got his host to sigh for him and he said, "Very well. But you said you come from Middle-earth right? So do you know Gandalf?"

She nodded. "Gandalf is an old friend. He is wise and strong, and I would strongly advise all of you to heed his counsel."

Gandalf smiled and said, "Your kind words are much appreciated, my lady. If you've nothing more to say, perhaps we should move on then?"

She nodded, and turned to the creature beside her, which was a being about my height, dressed in formidable, almost-crocodilian armor colored a cold blue. A number of long, thick threads draped from her skull, and she spoke with a harsh, hissing voice. "I am Xyrala, Empress of Mars, and of the Ice Warriors," she said.

"Mars?" the Yautja asked her, turning to look at her with incredulity. "We were not aware of any civilization on Mars? We've passed by the planet for millions of years, and have never found any trace of a society on Mars."

_Uh oh_, I thought, _conflicting canons_.

The Martian empress answered, "And we were not aware of any species approximating yours moving close to our planet." The two species eyed each other with suspicion, the Yautja letting out a series of low clicks, and the Martian hissing softly to herself.

The Doctor stepped in once more to diffuse the tension. "Yes well…from what I can tell, both of your species tend to have more isolationist tendencies. Perhaps the primary reason you've never noticed each other before is because you weren't looking?"

Both of them considered the possibility. The Yautja said, "It seems very unlikely that we wouldn't have been able to notice any signs of intelligent life considering how long and how frequently we enter that sector. Why haven't we detected any radio transmissions?"

"Maybe the same reason that humans haven't?" the Doctor said. "The Martian empire spends cycles lasting thousands of years in hibernation, their planet going dark during those times."

"Perhaps…" the Yautja said, her body relaxing.

The dwarf spoke up. "My Dear Empress," and he bowed to the Martian Matriarch, "I see your armor-elaborate and beautiful, clearly the work of skilled hands. But may I be so bold as to ask to see your face?"

"No," she said stiffly. "It is a great shame for an Ice Warrior to remove her armor, which also acts to preserve bodily stasis."

"As you say, Empress," the dwarf said with another bow.

Next to her – and slightly over everyone else – was an Eospaiens, towering 60 feet tall from its base to the top of its gas filled bladder. Arm like appendages bearing tentatacle-like fingers writhed as it rose them to speak. Like with the symbiote, I understood its thoughts even though no audible words were uttered. Though unlike the symbiote, I knew that this wasn't the result of smell but of high frequency sound waves – the same the Eosapiens used to navigate via echolocation.

"Egg," it said to us. "Existence is Urellum of the Dawn Peoples, Skull of the Belt Mountain Tribes of Darwin IV."

We all just sort of stared at it, exchanging looks with each other. For the briefest of moments, I thought it might actually be trolling us, but then Gandalf exclaimed, "Ahh, I think I know! This being is greeting us and explaining that he is the head of the Central Mountain tribe of his people!"

"Good!" the Eosapien said. "Full stomach!"

It felt as if the Eosapien was just saying random words and phrases, but then I realized. The Eosapiens' language must have been just as utterly alien to us as their physical appearance. The TARDIS was doing its best, but even then the translations came out not quite right. Everything the Eosapiens would say was a riddle that needed to be deciphered first.

"So you are Urellum?" The Doctor asked.

"Smooth skin," the Eosapien said.

"Hmm," the Doctor said. "It seems that you have no single word for 'yes' but rather, you answer in the affirmative with positive sensations is that correct?"

"Clear sunrise," it said.

"So then it stands to reason that you answer in the negative with bad sensations, right?" the Doctor said.

"A brand new spear," it said.

The Doctor smiled widely. "Oh that is fascinating! I've never encountered a species with a linguistic system like yours before! When this is all done, you stick around, I have a lot more questions. But for now, tell us a little bit about your world and your people."

"Holding hands with a friend. Thousands of sun rings, the Belt Mountain Tribe dances with food. We dance with spear and club – no magic toys for us."

"You've lived for thousands of years. But you do not have any of the advanced technology of these other species?" The Doctor asked.

"A long cold drink," it said.

"You have spears and clubs…do you have clothing? Bow, arrows? Do you use fire?"

"An arrow-tongue attack," it said.

"That would be no then," the Doctor said, examining the creature intensely. "You could very well be the least technologically developed species at this council…do you find any of this overwhelming? Confusing?"

"Magic happens. Strange magic. New magic. Magic is magic," it said.

"I see…I see! You know so little about your own world, your own universe that you don't have any established understanding of its laws. So even though its laws have been broken, it doesn't bother you because you didn't know what those laws were to begin with! As far as you know, nothing is impossible, so now that something impossible has happened, it doesn't bother you!"

"A full sleep," it said.

"That's very helpful," the Doctor said. "Often times, people have established stories and traditions that are then demonstrated to be wrong, and the people in question react with hostility. But that's not how you work, is it?"

"Morning, night," it said.

"I see…either, or. So you don't know," the Doctor said, "Which is a perfectly reasonable response, of course. Yes…yes, best we should move on at this point, but I would definitely like to have a nice chat with you!"

The old Yautja was the next to speak. She put her left hand on her right breast in salute and said, "I am Ma'khta, Elder of the Star-Foot Clan, from the planet Natha. I have hunted the universe for 2300 years, having killed three Queens in my time." I think I may have been one of the only ones besides her that actually knew what she meant by that.

Sure enough, The Martian Empress, Xyrala, asked, "Queens? What do you mean?"

"Hard-meat queens," she said. "The most dangerous game in the known universe. Voracious breeders that infest whole planets, assimilating the native life-forms. Their reproductive queens are the largest, and most powerful breed, and so they are the ultimate quarry for any hunter."

"So you're trophy hunters?" the Silurian asked her.

Ma'khta nodded. "The hunt is a sacred act: the primordial, original confrontation of all life. To win the hunt is to win life, and there is only one outcome for failure."

"But you don't hunt sapient species…?" the Silurian asked.

"We do," the Yautja said, unflinchingly.

Many gasped at this statement. Whispers began drifting throughout the circle. A voice called out, "Murderers!"

She snarled. "Ignorance! We are not murderers! We kill only those who have demonstrated the ability to defend themselves. The weak, the young, the old, the sick: these are not our targets. There is no challenge there, no honor. If a Yautja is successful in their hunt, then all is good: the sacred act is complete. If the Yautja is defeated, then all is still good – the sacred act having still taken place."

It was clear that her explanation had not placated everyone, so once more, the Doctor stepped in. "I know many of us would never condone Sport hunting of any kind…much less the hunting of sentient beings…and it's not something I can condone either. But we must reserve our judgement for now. There will be plenty of time to debate these matters later. We don't have to like each other...just agree on certain things, at least for the moment." I could feel the tension beginning to ease as the matter was put to rest.

Perched up above her were the Pterosapiens who took their turns. The one in the center of the trio stood tall and opened her wings, revealing an elaborate pattern tattooed across her wing membranes. She said, We are the Exalted Oligarchs of the Arctic Archipelago of the planet, Phosun. I am Tal Faakan, and this is my brother, Kun Faakal, and this is my sister, Muil Faakas. We are also members of the Second Galactic Alliance, along with the Symbiotes and others." No one seemed to have any questions for her, so we moved on.

On a ledge to their left was Gwhair. He kept his wings folded as he said, "I am Gwahir, the Wind Lord, Leader of the Eagles of the Misty Mountains. Like the Lady Galadriel, this is all strange to me, so I will be silent."

Down at the foot of the rockface was the Silurian female. She had red scales on her forehead. "I am Janax, Ambassador for the Unified Silurian Alliance, and for the planet Earth. I served as the commander of the USA's armed forces before becoming Ambassador several years ago."

"Excuse me," a voice called from close to me, "Did you say you're from Earth?" At first, I thought it was a bird, only to see that it was actually a non-bird dinosaur of some kind. The end of her snout was tipped in ridged beak-like tissue, and her tongue was multi-pronged. Like the Na-vi, her eyes were wide and yellow, and she resembled a crow as big as a German shepherd. When she spoke, her throat warbled, and her jaws only moved slightly.

"That's right. Why do you ask?" Janax asked in reply.

"Earth is our world as well, but we have never had cause to believe that there were other civilizations besides ours," she said, cocking her head curiously.

"It's most likely that your society developed after ours went dormant hundreds of millions of years ago. We went into hibernation to avoid a comic cataclysmic event. Isolated members of our species have been revived over time, but the population as a whole has remained in stasis," she explained in a calm voice.

"But why haven't we found you?" the dinosaur asked. She spoke quickly, and she fidgeted as she stood in place.

"Our stasis chambers are located miles underground. Not to mean any offense, but I think it's unlikely your people would be able to dig that deep."

"Yes, that's true, yes," she said. "Still, strange to think there's been a whole other race underneath our feet this whole time. Then again, lots of impossible things happening these days.. Who's to say really?

"Fair enough," Janax said, "But that's all I have to say. Shall we move on?"

By her side was Treebeard, who creaked to life after standing still for all the other species. "Hmmmm, Hroom now, Yes…yes you are all hasty folk aren't you? Giving out your names without a second thought. Hmm…I do wonder…I am not hasty myself, and usually wary when giving out my name…but then… you have all trusted me with yours. So I think I will trust you with mine. I am Treebeard, or Fangorn, which is also the name of my home. I am one of the ents – the shepherds of the forest, and the oldest of things that still walk in Middle-earth. I don't remember any of your folk in the old lists that I learned when I was an enting…I think I'm going to have to add more lines, but that can wait, yes…it can wait…" As I was expecting, Treebeard's introduction was a little rambling…but then, what would you expect from a self-desrcribed 'oldest thing that still walks in Middle-earth?'I noticed that the Na'vi in particular seemed to like Treebeard, no doubt owing to their love of trees.

But he wasn't done yet. "And, if I may say so, I dare say that you will all need our help. Yes, the trees here are strange – ancient, yet somehow full of youth and fire. Or is it that they are young, and appear old and tired? I am not sure, but the forest of this land is…hungry. It is wild and dangerous, and harm will surely come to those who journey through it without heed. I do not think the ents will stay here for long. I believe that we shall soon take our leave, and spread ourselves across the forest to shepherd the trees and tame the woods."

"That is good, Treebeard," Gandalf said, "But do not lose touch with us. There are dangers in these land that not even the wisest among us can see. It would be a great shame to lose the tree-herders."

"Hroom, hoom, yes Master Gandalf…I might have spoken too hastily myself…which has not happened for an age and a half," and I almost thought I saw some color appear in the bark over treebeard's eponymous matt of tangled moss and lichen, as if blushing, "But there is much work to be done, yes, much, much work for us ents. Much to manage. I must speak with the others when we are finished before I will know what is to be done. The ents do not usually take well to change, especially the oldest of us. We are not so bendable in our ways, if you know what I mean. But yes, we might stay a while longer, though a time will come for us to move."

After that, was something that didn't so much look like a person so much as an 11 foot tower of tender pink flesh, with tentacles sticking out the sides that turned out, on closer inspection, to actually be phalluses. Several tall, vertical eyes were positioned on top, each with one long, black eyelash. Below these eye mounds were four orifices that could have been oral, nasal, anal, or vagInal for all I could tell. Whatever they were used for, the creatures also used them to speak.

"We are the Modular Conglomerate from the planet Vonig. Our species is entirely colonial in nature, composed of individual micro-organisms uniting to form working wholes. We –as you see us now – are not an individual. The individual does not exist – only specifically engineered parts to a greater collective." It spoke with a low, crooning voice that would have been soothing if not for the fact that this creature essentially worked the same way as John Carpenter's _The Thing_.

It – or, I guess, they – continued, "We are also members of the Second Galactic Alliance, and have had dealings with the Symbiotes, Pterosapiens, and others. We believe that a working unit can be constructed from the creatures here. In a show of good faith, we will be constructing modular entities engineered to resemble the beings of this council, in an effort to facilitate informational exchange between our various peoples."

When they were finished speaking, it was the Na'vi's turn. The male spoke first. "I am Benadu, chief of the Clan of the Wing Bow. I had led my people for 18 years, when the Sky People came to our world. We have only bad memories of the time when they tried to destroy our sacred trees," he said, turning his wide, yellow eyes on me with an expression of aged bitterness.

The female spoke next. "And I am Nuapi, Shaman of the Clan of the Wing Bow. It is my duty to interpret the Will of the All Mother, and to guide my people toward wisdom. It was by my counsel that my mate, Benadu, chose to come. I believe that there is a chance for something greater here, but know that our fears are well-founded. Our dealings with outsiders to our world have not been of the friendly sort."

"And what world is that?" Janax, the Silurian ambassador asked.

"Pandora," the shaman said.

"I'm not familiar with this planet," Ma'khta, the Yautja elder said. "Tell us more about it."

"It is a beautiful place," the shaman, closing her eyes and breathing deep, as if to conjure a memory from the air. "It is warm, and filled with green. There is more life there than you can imagine. Indeed, this place reminds us very much of home."

Treebeard stirred at her words. "Hroom now, green do you say? There are trees where you come from?"

She nodded. "Oh yes, my friend, many trees! Thousands and thousands of trees, in forests that stretch to the edge of the sea."

Treeboard let out what almost sounded like a howl of pain, but was actually a call of longing. "What a wonderful place. Tell me of the trees of your home."

"Our trees are sacred to us," she said, bowing her head toward him. "They give us shelter, food, medicine, and material to craft with. We live in a tree – a hometree, which is almost as tall as this one here," she said, pointing to the gargantuan specimen looming high over us. "And most precious of all are the willows that whisper. The trees of voices and souls. These trees hold the thoughts and voices of our grandmothers and grandfathers."

"My…" Treebeard said in a dreamy voice, "Such trees…such trees as I've never known. Oh to visit your world…yes, I would very much like that."

"Yes, that's all very well and good," the Doctor said, interjecting, "But perhaps we should continue?"

When she was finished, the next being spoke – an elongated, snake-like being dressed in what looked almost like an overgrown sock. There was a disturbingly human-like hand on the end of his body. "I am Irvon, King of the Abrachis World State on the planet Ym. My people were the first of the Second Galactic Union to reach out to the stars."

"Aye," the dwarf standing next in line said, "And I am Dain II Ironfoot, King of Erebor, greatest of all the dwarf kingdoms of Middle-earth. As so many others have said, I know little of all things here, so it is best that I be otherwise quiet for now."

Next to Dain was a ferocious looking person: a humanoid being furnished with the features of a carnivore – curved claws and saber teeth hanging over his bottom lip. He crouched low, like a lion ready to pounce, but he spoke softly. "I am Hashil, President of the Collective Venatorial Republic. We founded the Second Galactic Union along with the Legless People," he said, nodding to the snake man.

Beside him was pair of humanoid figures with cone-shaped, fatty protrusions growing out of their shoulders and around their heads. All along their pink, scaly bodies were octopus-like suckers. One of them spoke in a hoarse whisper of a voice. "I am Thom, Ambassador from the planet Zygar. We are shape changers who have wandered the universe for centuries, ever since our home planet was destroyed. If we can find asylum here, then we will gladly aid you."

Next to the Zygon was one of the Asymmetrical people from before, supporting his grotesque form with toes stretched out into spider-like legs, and a face that would be most at home in a Cubist painting. "I am Gov, Prime Minister of the Asymmetrical People's Democratic Monarchy. We are also members of the Second Galactic Alliance, along with the Symbiotes, Legless Folk, Venatorials, Pterosapiens, and modulars."

Moving on, we came to the dinosaur from before. She wore no clothing, except for three necklaces and a few anklets dangling by her feet. Once again, she spoke swiftly, even impatiently. "Greetings. I am Lourina, chieftan of the Ianal tribes."

The creature beside her also looked quite dinosaur like, standing on two long, high-ankled legs, and sporting a muscular tail. But her face looked as if someone had a grabbed a human's and stretched it outwards by a foot or two. She grinned widely and said, "Pleasures to you all! I am Vurkina, Moderator of the Satyriac Communal State. We, too, are members of the Second Galactic Alliance" After speaking, she whistled a short tune before turning to the next in line.

Next to her was a chimpanzee. He did not speak at first, but instead took a few steps forward. He walked bowlegged, each step clearly a struggle for the habitual quadruped. He looked at each one of the creatures with green eyes that seemed to probe each one of us. When he spoke, it was labored, as if each word was a chore. "I am Caesar. Leader of the Apes"

"Where are you from?" Nuapi, the Na'vi shaman asked.

"From...from earth. This...this is all very strange and new to us. Ours is a young people. We do not have great powers or advanced technology. I throw myself at the mercy of this council: we are tired. Worn. Chased and pursued to exhaustion. Please, let us live in peace. Give us peace and we will work with all of you." Many of the creatures looked at one another, then back at Caesar. None knew what to say

"Caesar," the Doctor said quietly, "I can't promise you peace. But I can promise that if you're willing to work with us, then we will work with you. That's what this council is about: uniting together to protect one another."

Caesar bowed his head, and stepped back into place.

It was the lizard person standing next to me who spoke next. He looked most like the old, outdated depictions of dinosaurs from decades past – reptilian, with an erect spine and his tail dragging behind him. "I am Pahpan, Prince of the Third Sapiesaur Empire. Our ancestors were brought to the Planet Ganning as pets, which became feral and evolved greater intelligence. We too are members of the Second Galactic Union."

And then, there it was – the moment I had been dreading most of all. All of the other species had taken their turn, which left only me – the somewhat flabby, six-foot tall, pasty, hairy dude with the glasses and the nerdy T-shirt. There were Chancellors, Kings, Oligarchs, Chieftains, Queens, Presidents, Prime Ministers…and me. I was totally frozen for about three seconds before I realized I had to say something. So, like a dolt, I opened my mouth to speak, and out came a high pitched, cracking sound, as if I was going through puberty all over again.

I cleared my throat and said, "Sorry, sorry," while laughing nervously. "Um…"I said, giving them something while also trying to stall for something to say. "Hi…everyone…um…my name is Patrick Murphy…I am a human from the planet earth…uh….yeah…" I was hoping that would be enough since I was the last. With any luck, they were getting bored with the introductions. But I was wrong.

Mahk'ta, the Elder Yautja spoke first. "And what is your status among your people?" Her tone clearly relayed her surprise. She must have known that I was young.

"Uh…well…I work at a museum….I'm a writer…I like to draw..I-"

I was cut off by Hasil, the Venatorial. "What is your title?"

"Um…Mr.?"

Some of the creatures looked at one another, exchanging looks of confusion. Next to speak up was Dain. "So you're not a King? A Prince?"

"Nope," I said with a single shake of my head.

"An ambassador? Janax, the Silurian Ambassador asked.

"Not in an official capacity," I responded.

"Why are you here then?" Benadu, the Na'vi chief asked me.

The Doctor stepped in. "I chose him. The humans were unable to decide upon a proper representative in the given time, so I chose for them."

"But why this one?" Janax asked. "I'm not altogether sure, but he looks like a young one, and he doesn't seem to have any kind of real experience…none that he's mentioned yet, at any rate…"

"I chose him because Patrick Murphy knows more about this world than everyone else here put together," the Doctor said stiffly.

The creatures all shared incredulous looks with one another, while some even laughed ( or did whatever their species does instead of laughing). The next one to speak was the Empress of Mars, Xyrala. "What do you mean?"

The Doctor turned to look at her, holding his arms out to the sides. "'What do I mean?' What do you mean, 'what do I mean?' I mean what I mean! While you may all know more about each of your individual worlds and societies and such, Patrick Murphy is the only one who knows something about each of your worlds."

"Is that so?" the Yautja said, eyeing me with curiosity. It was only then, looking into her eyes, that I remembered that her species sees in the infrared spectrum. "Let's hear it then - tell us each something about every species here that we have yet to hear."

I looked at the Doctor for some kind of guidance, but he said nothing. I took that as a directive to comply. "Uh...okay," I said, looking around at all the faces pointed toward me. "Well, guess I'll start with the Doctor. Timelords have a binary vascular system, composed of two hearts that pump blood at alternating rhythms. As for Gandalf...well, there are four other wizards, including Saruman the White, Radagast the Brown, and...two other wizards. I think they're both blue. I can't remember their names, but they went east toward the land of Rhun...uh, the Symbiotes...hmm...I can't say I know a ton. I know that symbiotes will employ different host bodies for different purposes...Elves were the first of the children of Illuvatar to wake in Middle-earth, and are not only immortal but immune to illness. The Ice Warriors...ugh, can't say I know much about the Ice Warriors...I know that they are a warrior race...uh, duh, and they place a high value on personal honor. I know that Eosapiens are a very primitive species...er, no offense that is...and they mostly navigate via echolocation, like most creatures of Darwin IV. Yautja hunt xenomorphs as a rite of passage, marking themselves with their clan's symbol using the acidic blood of their kills, and that they see in the infrared spectrum. They use masks to focus the thermal energy. I know that pterosapiens have a heart shaped like a sea star, which efficiently supplies them with enough energy to both fly and be intelligent. Unfortunately, it also means they have a reduced life span, not usually living past 30 years. The Eagles of the Misty Mountains are the greatest and noblest of all birds of course, and have participated in both the Battle of the Five Armies and in the Battle of the Black Gates. I know that Silurians are bred from familial gene chains into a specific cast. Oh, they're also ectothermic. I know that there haven't been any entings in a long time because the ent wives were lost a long time ago. The ancestors of the modular people were mutated by the Qu into barely-sentient mats of tissue as punishment for resistance. The Na'vi's braid contains a bundle of connective neural tissue which they can use to mentally bond with other life forms from their planet. The Legless People evolved from subterranean worm-like creatures who adapted to a fossorial existence to escape the burning sun of their ancient homeworld. Dwarves have a love of all things that come from the earth: previous stones of all kinds, from gold to mithril. The Venatorials have a long and violent history, owing to their nature as hyper carnivores. When Zygons shape shift, they not only take on the physical appearance but also the memories of the subject. The Asymmetricals, like the Modular People, were punished by the Qu, stranded on a planet with super high gravity, which twisted and warped their bodies into their current shape. I know that the Avisapiens evolved from Troodontid dinosaurs in the Late Cretaceous Period. The Satyriacs evolved from pets of the Qu that were bred to live lives of pleasure. That ended when their island contient home collided with another land mass, introducing invasive predators. Still, pleasure plays a great part in their day-to-day lives, and they will engage in massive celebrations - feasts, concerts, orgies - that last days on end. The apes gained their intelligence from genetic experiments conducted by human researchers to find a cure for Alzheimer's. The viral component of the gene therapy delivery method mutated out of control and spread across the planet, killing off many humans, and increasing the intelligence of all non-human great apes. The Saurosapients evolved from pet lizards transplanted from earth by humans, which became feral and thrived in their hot-house world. And, uh...I think that just about covers it."

The looks from across the room were all inquisitive, but it was also clear that I made quite an impression on them. Any one of these facts might not have been very impressive on their own, but I may have been the first person to display familiarity with all of the disparate peoples, places, and eras that were on display here. Dain II Ironfoot slammed his open-palmed hand on the table and chuckled. "Well done, boy! Perhaps there is greater wisdom in the Doctor's choices after all."

The Doctor said, "Yes, and there's a very good reason for that. Over the last couple of days, Patrick and I have been discussing things...examining certain possibilities. We think we may have discovered a key to understanding what's been going on here."

All the creatures perked up, leaning in closer toward the Doctor. Dain said, "Well don't just stand there! Out with it!"

The Doctor did not respond verbally. Instead, he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small disc, holding it up for everyone to see. "This is a standard home computer from the early 22nd century. If you don't know what a computer is, don't worry. I'm just using this to try and make a point." He dropped the disc at his feet. "Activate," he said. A small blue light began to flash on the surface of the disc.

In a moment, something appeared just over it - a light blue, semi-transparent screen that read, "Welcome Back! Resume?"

"Resume," the Doctor said. The blue screen faded to white, and a single word appeared in the center: Hello, written in basic black type. "Now, do you all see the word displayed on the projection?"

All answered in the affirmative, except for the Eosapiens. I turned to the Doctor. "Echolocation, remember?"

"Oooohh, of course," the Doctor said, putting a hand on his forehead. "I'm sorry, that was very rude of me," the Doctor said, in a tone that sounded as if he'd accidentally served meat to a vegetarian. He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and began to wave it over the projection, flashing a turquoise light and creating its signature high-pitched whir. "I'll just increase the frequency of the photons in the letters so that they register differently from the surrounding space. There, now can everyone see?" They all could. "Except that you can't. What you are seeing are not letters so much as a computational translation of a specific repeated code into readable text."

Dain grabbed a handful of his long, thick brown hair. "Words, Doctor, your words are too much for a simple dwarf, even a kingly one."

"Well then, let me show you. Come on up, your Majesty, it's really quite simple," the Doctor said, inviting King Dain to his side.

"Oh? Alright then. I hope you're right Doctor - it's not wise to speak falsely to a king," Dain said, stepping into the circle and crossing over to the Doctor.

The Doctor swiped the word away displaying another screen which looked like a command window of some kind. He then pulled up a hologram in the shape of a keyboard, and pointed to the number keypad. "Tap the numbers 1 and 0 in the order I tell you to."

"Tap them?" Dain asked, "As ye would yer fingers on a table? How is a dwarf supposed to tap the air?"

"You'll see," the Doctor said. "The number will light up when you put your finger over it. Go ahead, tap the number 1."

Dain stuck his finger out apprehensively, as if one who was about to touch a stove that they had only just turned off. When his finger finally came close enough, the number one lit up yellow. Dain retracted his finger quickly as if expecting a burn, but when none appeared, he chuckled. "An amusing little bit of conjuring!" I couldn't help but be amused by the dwarven king's amazement at simply pressing a key on a computer keyboard.

"So, press the keys in this order 100101001001110101101010101010101010101110101110101011101010101010." The Doctor spoke slowly, and Dain typed deliberately with one finger. When Dain was finished, he swiped the screen and now the word 'Hello' was lengthened to read, 'Hello my name is King Dain II.'"

Dain chuckeld even more. "By me Father's beard, Doctor! How did you do that?"

"That's how computers work, your Highness," the Doctor said simply. "They take a repeated pattern of ones and zeros - a code - and that acts as a sort of set of instructions, telling the computer what to do. It's like a translation - the computer translates the ones and zeros into commands: in this case, the command was to write out the phrase 'Hello, my name is Dain II.' This particular kind of code - which uses only ones and zeros - is called binary code. But there are other kinds of code as well, in different contexts. For example-" and he swiped the screen upwards, replacing it with one of a human figure, "-all life on the planet Earth is made of a different kind of code called genetic code. Instead of using ones and zeros, genetic code uses alternating patterns of four different nucleotides - cytosine, thymine, adenine, and guanine, which can be represented by the letters C, T, A, and G."

I looked over at the more 'primitive' species which didn't understand things like computers or DNA to see how they were getting along. While they had followed well enough until this point, it looked like the Doctor was starting to lose them.

But it looked like the Doctor had prepared for this. He tapped the screen, and the view began to zoom down toward the person's skin. "So - a basic biology lesson for those who need it. All living things are made of cells. Cells are like the bricks in a house, or the fibers in a piece of cloth. Now cells contain something called DNA, which contains the genetic code."

The camera zoomed all the way down to a human skin cell, and continued past the nucleus to show the DNA molecule. The Doctor pointed at the nucleotides, "Here is the DNA, and it is made out of those four letters. This is A, this is G, here's T, and that one is C," he said, pointing at the the different bases. "With the computer, the binary code was made of a repeated string of ones and zeros. With genetic code, its these As, Cs, Gs, and Ts that are repeated. This genetic code is read by other parts of the cell called the ribosomoes, and then is translated into proteins, which are used to make everything needed to build a body. So a computer turns 1s and 0s into text, and your cells turn As, Gs, Ts, and Cs into flesh and blood."

It might be tempting to think that creatures whose most advanced pieces of technology were bows and arrows wouldn't be able to follow this at all, but it was plain to see that they did understand. And it honestly wasn't surprising. I've been working with kids of all ages for over half a decade at this point, and one thing I've learned in all that time is that it doesn't matter how little a person knows, or how young they are - as long as it's explained simply enough, there's almost no idea you can't communicate to someone else. I couldn't help but be impressed by the Doctor's skill at science communication to what were essentially paleolithic tool-users

It was also amazing to see the look of realization in their eyes, or in the flashing patches of bioluminescent yellow lights in the case of the Eosapiens. They were receiving answers to questions they didn't even know were there to be asked, secrets they never even dreamed were being kept. Far from not understanding what they Doctor was telling them - they understood fully, and realized the far reaching implications thereupon. It's hard to say how - or even if - ideas like cells and DNA fit into their pre-existing beliefs but for the moment at least, the concepts were so intriguing that they were willing to entertain them.

"Now - here's the rub," the Doctor said. I was expecting him to continue, but instead I saw a flash of movement to my left, followed promptly by a painful prick on my arm.

"Ahh!" I cried out, reaching up to feel the spot on my arm where the prick had been. I felt a slight trickle of blood on my fingertips, and looked to see the Doctor standing with a needle in his fingers, the tip covered in what I realized was my blood. "You could have asked…" I said.

"Sorry, I was in the moment," he said, shrugging. "But look here. Within this blood sample we should find the genetic code. But we don't! Instead we see a different code. I've spent the last day or so mapping out the code, and here's what I've found." The Doctor placed the tip of the needle in front of the lense of a small camera on the disc. The Hologram display changed, and showed a repeating pattern of lines that spiked sharply upwards in repeating intervals like a seismographic. "As you can see, instead of the double helical structure of DNA, what we see is a spike count. I'm not entirely sure if this is temporal or rate coding, but either way, it is bioelectrical. Specifically, it's neural!"

A few eyes went wide, and several scattered whispers went through the circle among the more technologically developed species. Those that were unaware of the exact implications of the Doctor's words, looked around, realizing that they were missing something. Benadu was the first to speak up. "What does this mean?"

"By neural, I'm referring to the activity which takes place within the brain. This is a neural code," he said, pointing to the screen and speaking with pronounced diction. "Within all of our brains, right now, at this very second, there is a flurry of activity happening. Our brains control everything our bodies do - they keep our hearts beating, our lungs breathing, and our eyes open. Our brains are in constant contact with every other part of our body. For example-" the Doctor said, once more reaching toward me in a flash and pinching the skin on my arm.

"Hey! Stop that!" I said, flinching. I couldn't blame those few creatures that snickered.

"The spot where I pinched Patrick sent signals to the brain, telling it that something was pinching him there. The brain, in turn did a number of things in response. First, it created the sensation of pain. Then it sent other signals telling his muscles to flinch. These signals are electrical in nature - the same phenomenon as lightning, only much smaller. Simply put - the code that now makes up our physical being is identical to this code found within the nervous system."

"Doctor..." Vurkina of the Satyriacs said, her tail swaying anxiously behind her, "Are you saying...are you saying that we are all made of...thoughts?"

Many confused looks and bemused voices began to rise from the circle. "Preposterous," one called out.

"Of course it is!" the Doctor said, not to the speaker, but to all of us. "Of course it's preposterous, and it bloody damn well be too! Just look around you - just within our small circle alone, there is a diverse mixture of various different beings from various different points in time and space, some of them possibly from different universes. Some of you are existentially incompatible! What we need is an explanation that is preposterous enough to account for just how impossible this all is!"

No one had anything to say initially. The different creatures eyed each other, as if trying to find any hint of the Doctor's claim in their neighbors. No doubt they were hoping to find something to disprove the Doctor. It was Janax, the Silurian Ambassador that found their next thought. "Very well Doctor... seeing as no better alternatives have thus far been put forward, let us entertain this idea...for the moment. This would raise a whole host of other questions, most obviously at all - how did this happen, and why did it happen to this...boy?" I wish I could say that I was insulted by her incredulity, but the fact is I was wondering the same thing.

"I never claimed to have all the answers," the Doctor said. "There's still work to be done, research to conduct. But all that can wait. Our primary concern right now should be establishing a strong defense against those that would wish to do us harm, of which there is no shortage. From my experience alone, I've had to contend with a number of megalomaniacal, omnicidal invaders capable of mass genocide in the span of minutes. Daleks, cybermen...even my own people at times. And they're just the tip of the iceberg. I've met thousands of species in my travels, and each one of them has proved themselves to be potentially dangerous." I saw his eyes flicker from the Ice Warrior, to the Silurian, to the Zygons.

Gandalf nodded. "There are dangers aplenty here. Chief among them to my knowledge is Sauron, which you have already heard spoken of. Indeed, you beheld his herald, Thuringwethil, Mistress of all Vampires, with your own eyes. Sauron's knowledge in the arts of crafting and forgery is unparalleled, but by far his most potent weapon is cunning. Using nothing more than deceit, he corrupted the greatest Kingdom of men in Middle-earth, Numenor, and led it to utter ruin. He commands numerous hordes - orcs of all kinds, trolls, balrogs, wargs and werewolves, and his most deadly servants of all, the ringwraiths. Sauron has laid waste to whole swaths of Middle-earth time and time again. And in his malicious wisdom, he wrought his most deadly device of all - the Ring of Power. Greatest of all rings, it grants its master power according to his stature, and Sauron uses it to exert his will to dominate over all other living things.

"Very thankfully, the Ring was taken from Sauron long ago, and has since been lost. If he had come to possess it again, we would indeed know it, and be well on our way to meet him with praise, wherever in these lands he dwells, unless we were lucky enough to meet one of the great heroes of old who had strength enough to resist him...which could very well happen, given all else that's taken place."

Galadriel turned to look at him and spoke. "Do not forget, Mithrandir. Sauron himself was once a servant to something far stronger."

Gandalf's eyes widened, appearing fully for the first time from behind his great beard. "My Lady! Oh, of course! Oh, let it never be said that Gandalf the Grey am wise beyond folly! In that matter then, I defer to you, My Lady. It has clearly been weighing on your mind more, and you were there to witness his devastation."

Galadriel didn't speak at first. I think she was trying to remember. Specifically, she was trying to remember what it felt like to live in a world devastated and held in terror by the first great evil of Arda. When she found the words, a shadow fell over her face, and her eyes darkened. "The Black Foe of the World. Morgoth Bauglir. The source of all evil. Sauron's Lord and Master. He is the father of the very ideas of discord and chaos. Mountains crumble like sand between his fingers. Oceans churn at his footsteps. Lighting falls at his voice. Even at his weakest, Morgoth's will is stronger than all of ours put together. He could will us into despair and subjugation if he so chose."

Her low voice trembled, as did her left hand, and she looked down at the ground. No one was really sure how to react. Strangely enough, I was the the one to break the silence. "If this is really a world of my thoughts - of all the things I know - then Morgoth is here, somewhere out there," I said, turning to look at the sea of treetops spreading out in all directions.

"Then all the more reason for us to work together," the Doctor said just loud enough for all to hear him. "Our only hope is in unity."

Gandalf nodded. "I agree. Powerful though both Morgoth and Sauron may be, they are not without their failures. Each has known defeat before, and if Morgoth is indeed here, then his enemies - our friends - may yet also be here."

The Doctor gestured to the Symbiote next to Gandalf. "Lord Chancellor, if you please?"

Chancellor Ome nodded and began. Once more, his mouth remained closed, and a pungent odor filled the circle as his thoughts were formed into words in my head. "As some of my allies have already mentioned, our historical enemy are the Qu. The Qu are nomads, traveling from star cluster to star cluster, molding life as they see fit. Our ancestors had modified themselves for a life among the stars, and this Angered the Qu. They believed that their ability to mold genetic material like clay was theirs and theirs alone. Our ancestors had offended them, and so they sought to subjugate us. Though our ancestors resisted, the QU were as gods to them. We were easily conquered, and remolded to the whim of the Qu. Some were made into utilities, like living air and water filters. Others were bred as cosmetic novelties. And some - like the Modular and the Asymmetricals - were warped to endure an agonizing existence. It is only thanks to the Qu's nomadic nature that they eventually left our planets, leaving our corrupted ancestors to fend for themselves. Though most died out without their caretakers, some survived, until nature saw fit to return their sapience to them."

The Sapiesaur to my left, Prince Pahpan, cleared his throat and said, "Uh, one small addendum. Our ancestors were kept as pets by the ancestors of the Symbiotes, and the other members of the Second Galactic alliance: the Star People. They are all descended from a single ancestral line, despite their myriad forms, and they took their pets with them as they traveled across the stars. When the Qu came to our world, the Star People there did not resist, and so the Qu were merciful, merely neutering their brains so as to never regain their intelligence. Meanwhile, our ancestors became feral, and thrived in the wild. As the ancestral Star people remained dumb and stunted, we grew stronger and smarter. Now, they are merely beasts of burden to us."

I raised my hand. "And a small addendum to that small addendum. Those Star People they both mentioned? Yeah, those are actually descendants of creatures like me! So I'm the ancestor of their ancestors! For all we know, I might even be the Great Great Great Great X1 million grandfather of everyone here from the Second Galactic Alliance!...except for the Sapiesaurs, that is."

All of the human descendents looked at me instantly, all of them with eyes as wide as grapefruits, and their jaws hanging slack. The Modular said, "You are of the ancestral line?!"

"Not only that," I said, "But I'm also from the ancestral planet. All of you originally came from Earth."

It was as if each one of them had just won 1 million dollars. The Pterosapiens flapped their wings excitedly. The Venatorial howled at the sky while pawing the ground with his right foot. The Satyriac wagged her tail and sang joyously. The Doctor had to intercede. "Yes, I can appreciate that this is a significant discovery for you all, but perhaps we should focus on the matter at hand?" The creatures all calmed themselves and settled back into their place, though most were still looking at me. "So, about the Qu?" the Doctor asked.

"What? Oh yes," the Symbiote said, snapping back to his thoughts. "There's not much more to say really, at least not from me. Do any of the members of the Alliance have anything to add?"

I raised my hand again. "I do. At some point in all of your futures, you're going to come into contact with another one of the heirs to the Star People. These have developed have in isolation, ignoring the interstellar conversations transmitted across their system. They are convinced that they and they alone are the true inheritors of the Star People's legacy. This xenophobic paranoia will eventually drive them to trade their physical existence for a cybernetic one. Once free of their physical boundaries, this collective, mechanical intelligence - the Gravital - will become even more powerful than the Qu. They will be able to manipulate gravity with ease, enabling them to devastate whole planets within mere moments. Their cybernetic existence will make them totally apathetic to the existence of organic beings, and they will exterminate all of you with the same carelessness of a person sweeping dirt off the floor. And after everything that we've learned so far, there's no reason to think they're not somewhere out there too."

The graveness of this proposition scared all of them into silence. The damage of the Qu was written into their DNA, even after hundreds of millions of years. That there were beings out there even more savage and even more powerful - and of their own stock, no less - was nothing short of a nightmare to them. At last, the Modular spoke up. "A warning of the future from a ghost of the past...truly these are strange times."

"Yes, well...in case you hadn't noticed," the Doctor said facetiously, gesturing to our surroundings.

Mahk'ta, the Yautja poke up next, "And then there are the Hard Meat - what the humans call xenomorphs. They are as vicious as they are virulent, and can completely overwhelm a planet, consuming its lifeforms. There are also the Harbingers - what the humans call the Space Jockeys. We do not know if they are a threat; they perished eons ago. But the Hard Meat was first discovered among their petrified remains. For all that is known - which is not much - the Harbingers created the Hard Meat, or else were simply one of their first victims."

"Anyone else?" the Doctor asked, looking around the circle.

Most of the circle was quiet, it's members having mad their fears known. It was Benadu who was next to speak. "Our greatest fears come from your kind, sky person," he said, pointing at me with a four-fingered hand. "It is your people who felled our sacred groves, and nearly destroyed the Tree of Souls."

A grunt sounded from close to me, to the right. It was Caesar of the Apes. "Humans and Apes do not get along. Humans torture us. Hunt us. Enslave us."

It felt like all eyes had turned to me. I gulped. I felt the immediate desire to say several things: how all of that was just fiction, how most of the species here were hardly blameless in their own mass atrocities...but thankfully I realized how flat that would all sound before I could vocalize. Instead, I ended up sort of stuttering on random vowels before finally saying, "Yeah...yeah, you're right. Humans...well, I can't really account for all of the horrible things my people have done - to others and to themselves. But as near as I can understand it, part of this council is to ensure the mutual protection of each of its member species...which include protecting us from each other. I know the Doctor chose me for the Council...and I know there is a chance that this whole world is made from my thoughts...but I don't really have the authority to...well, you know...offer any kind of proper amendments to you. I can say that I'm sorry for what others of my species have done to you...but that's about it…" Benadu still looked stern, but Nuapi gave a smile smile and nodded. Caesar didn't smile, but his eyes softened.

"Anyone else?" the Doctor asked.

Dain spoke up. "Well, if this place is indeed made from the lad's thoughts, perhaps he should let us know if there's anything else out there that we should know about?"

I couldn't argue with him. There were indeed several threats I could think of that hadn't yet been mentioned. "I can think of a few things. If we're talking cosmological omnicide, then there are a few names that come to mind. You've got Darkseid and Thanos. I mean, Satan, of course, is probably somewhere out there. Darth Vader, Emperor Palpatine...uh, Titans like Typhon and Echidna. Whole scores of various alien species with a bent on invasion and conquering other planets. Too many to name really...but let's not get too focused on these larger threats...all of this, "Big Evil," quote unquote. I also know of thousands of so-called smaller threats that can be just as devastating. There really some people out there that just want to watch the world burn - regardless of which world that is - and it doesn't take god-like power just to start a fire."

Gandalf nodded. "There is wisdom in these words. All great things, be they good or evil, grow from small things. A small hint of pride can turn to vain ambition without the least bit of prodding from without. The potential for wickedness lies in the hearts of all, as does the potential for good. Ever must the eyes of the virtuous be vigilant and unblinking."

"Right, now," the Doctor said, "Since we now have an idea of what sorts of threats we should be preparing against, the next issue is how do fortify ourselves. Obviously just milling about in the open beside an overgrown tree isn't an option. I think our first step should be shelter."

"On that subject, I have something to say," Dain said, growing clearly excited. "My fellow dwarves and I were talking about these great black rocks that rise up from the ground like towers of a castle. This is good stone, very good, and very hard. By the leave of the council, we'd very much like to delve into the heart of the rock, and carve out great tunnels and halls. Why, rocks like these could yield a hall greater than those of Erebor and Moria put together!"

I smiled. "That's not a bad idea! It could be like a sort of capitol building."

"Very well," The Doctor said. "It appears we have our first motion. Are there any here who object to the motion of allowing the dwarves to carve a hall out of the rocks here?"

The Eosapiens said, "Cave not only for rumble voices please."

We all looked at each other, as if hoping that one of us had the answer. Turns out, I was the one to come up with it. "Uh...oh wait, you - rumble voices. Is that your term for all of us here?"

"A new born child. Voices like boulders tumbling down the mountain side. Ghost voices."

I thought hard about this. "Hmm...oh, wait I think I know. The Eosapiens are attuned to hearing sounds at a much higher frequency than the rest of us. So to them, our voices must seem very deep and rumbling. And our voices are ghost voices because, unlike high frequency sound waves, low frequency sounds move through objects instead of bouncing off of them."

The Doctor glanced over at me. "That was actually pretty good."

I'm sure I was blushing. "But, uh, yeah, I think what they're saying is that they don't want a place that's only built for people shaped like us. You know, humans, Timelords, elves, dwarves. They want to make sure that the building is accessible to all creatures."

"Ah yes, that's a good point!" the Doctor said.

"Oh uh...well, I'm not sure…" Dain said, hesitantly.

"Not sure about what?" the Doctor asked.

Dain rubbed the back of his head, not looking at anyone in particular. "It's just...well, I'm not sure any dwarf has ever made a hall where something like that can feel at home."

"Now, now, don't be rude, your highness," the Doctor said. "Not some_thing_, some_one_. They might look different from you, but your minds are more alike than you may realize. After all, Gandalf may look like an old, decrepit vagabond, but only a fool would think he actually was." It took Gandalf a second to conclude that it was a genuine compliment. Then the Doctor turned to the Eosapiens. "Urellum: do you have children?"

"Beautiful children," they said.

"King Dain, do you have any children?" the Doctor asked.

Dain nodded. "I have a son. Thorin III Stonehelm."

"See? You're both parents. There's no reason you can't work together!"

King Dain folded his hands in front of him. "Aye Doctor. My apologies...Urellum. So much here is foreign and unnerving to us. Change is a rude thing to a Dwarf. But I will work with you, if you will work with me."

The huge being's front shaft flashed yellow, which I somehow knew was meant to be their version of a nod. They reached out toward Dain with one of their elongate, finger-like tentacles, stopping only once it was a few inches from Dain. At first Dain, wasn't sure what to do with it, but he eventually brought himself to reach out with both hands and grasp it gently.

"A magnificent hall it will be, I'm sure," Janax said. "But it won't be enough to house all of us...not comfortably at least...and more will surely come as time goes on. What are we going to do about everyone else?"

"We'll have to construct shelters, obviously," Xyrala, Empress of Mars said.

Benadu raised a hand. "You will not build for us. Na'vi people do not cut down trees to live. We live with the trees."

Ambassador Thom of the Zygons turned to him and said, "Not all of us are suited to living in trees. Our homeworld was nearly devoid of forests. We prefer open space."

"The destruction of trees is a horrific act. When you destroy the trees, you dishonor the souls of all living things," Nuapi said calmly.

Hashil of the Venatorials snorted. "Trees do not have souls. They don't think, they don't feet. They are plants."

Benadu looked furious. "The Doctor was wrong. We are not all of one mind. Are there are any here who see? Or are you all so blind that you do not know the precious gift of life? The land is family - you do not sell your mother. You do not own your father. The land is not yours to do with as you will."

"According to whom?" Irvon of the Legless Folk said, coiling up like an agitated snake, ready to strike. "If trees are so precious to you, then so be it. But why should we be bound to your customs? My people spend a lot of time underground, and trees are hardly appropriate for a subterranean lifestyle.

A creaking sound signaled the stirring of Treebeard, who held up his seven fingered, woody hands and proclaimed, "Now, now. Let's none of us be too hasty. Quick are the wiles of free folk to anger and fury. But I think I might have something to say," and he turned to the two Na'vi. "My friends. You speak lovingly and caringly of your trees. I do think think the world would be a better place if more folk valued green over gold. We ents care for our trees as you do yours, and we feel nothing but pain to see our forests disappear. But the waning of the old world gives way to the waxing of the new. There are others, men and dwarves and now so many others...yes, we'll need to add more lines to the ones i learned as an enting...but they must do as they do. Men do not live in trees and forests as the elves do, and there must be places for them as well. It is a shame that men and dwarves do not feel for the forest as you, but that is there nature. You can no more ask men not to build houses and halls than you can ask trees not to grow. Building is in the nature of men and others, and it would be cruel to forbid them from doing it."

Both Benadu and Nuapi were taken aback. Surely, if there was anyone at the Council who would be sympathetic on behalf of the trees, it was Treebeard. Nuapi said, "But they take more than they need, never knowing when to stop."

Treebeard rocked slightly back and forth. "More? More...yes, taking more than is needed is treacherous. That is why the ents were made - to shepherd and protect the forest from the wolves who would feed their fires and furnaces until even the stars ceased to shine. Nothing rouses the ents like the taking of trees for fuel and folly. If men do not know when to stop, then that is why there are ents. We will stop them."

That's when a thought came to me. We had made a fairly decent amount of progress, I thought, and it would be a shame to let it all fall to pieces over trees. "If I might make a suggestion," I piped up, "The technology available here is really very advanced and versatile. If some of us can travel across the stars - or even through time- then surely there must be some way to compromise."

"How?" Ambassador Janax asked.

"Well...and this is mostly a sort of shot in the dark here, but...what if we had a… a kind of a raised settlement, or something…"

Ambassador Thom looked inquisitively at me, stroking his chin with one of his thick, clawed fingers. "You mean, a city suspended over the ground?"

"Something like that," I said, "Or maybe a city on raised platforms supported by tall...I don't know, stilts or poles or something. Either way, this way, the trees wouldn't need to be cut down, and we'd have all the available space to shelter everyone here."

I saw Treebeard's eyes light up. "Hroom now, that is an idea I like! I cannot say I understand what such a thing would look like, or how it would be made, but if men and trees and all others can share the land in ways that are good for all, then I will feel better and greener and happier than I have been since the time of the entwives!"

"Sky people in the sky," Benadu said, relaxing somewhat, "I do like this idea better."

I felt the Doctor give me a hearty slap on the back. "Now that's what I'm talking about! If we're willing to talk to each other, and work with each other, there's no reason why we can't find solutions that satisfy all."

King Irvon relaxed his coils and said, "All, you say? And how would you accommodate me and my fossorial subjects?"

Ambassador Janax said, "I'm sure there would be ways to build structures to accommodate all of our various species. Ideally we might be able to build tunnels, perhaps even fill them with substrate if that would be more comfortable for you. We can also build perches for our flying members. The boy is right - if we can travel the stars, there's no reason we can't create a place where all of our members feel comfortable."

"It will take a while," Empress Xyrala said. "And it will require resources of all kinds in order to produce, and that's only after we can settle on a design that we feel is fair to us all. What are we to do in the meantime?"

"Look after one another," the Doctor said. "Share your campfire with an Assymetrical. Your food with a Yautja. Your water with a Silurian. Make friends. And keep a an or two on the trees around us. Danger could strike at any moment."

Empress Xyrala said, "The best way to fortify our defenses is to employ more soldiers. We cannot wait for new recruits to arrive. It would be best to send scouts out into the forest to find any signs of others, either from our own kind, or from others."

"Agreed," Gandalf said. "Thuringwethil spoke this much truth at least: there could very well be others of your kinds out in the world, and they'll need to be supported."

And at last, there it was: the long awkward pause which signaled that no one had anything more to say. The first meeting of the Universal Council of Intelligence had come to a close. The Doctor stepped forward and said," Very well. Let us go over our...tentative agenda, shall we? First: the dwarves will construct a centralized headquarters with the rocks around the tree. Secondly, we will begin plans on a city that is supported above the canopy, that will allow the trees to remain unharmed. And thirdly, we will send out scouts to find and and bring any members of our species' to the tree to both provide aid and to strengthen our guard. If there are any objections to these aims, please state them now."

Silence.

"Then, as he who summons, I hereby proclaim the first meeting of the Universal Council of Intelligence closed. Go in peace and good health."

Like a class just let out, the creatures began to mule around, collecting themselves and having conversations amongst their own kinds. Gandalf and the Doctor both approached me, Gandalf being the first to speak. "So, Doctor," he said, his nose twitching slightly, "I take it this was the secret you were keeping from me?"

"No secrets, Gandalf," the Doctor said, his arms swingingly slightly by his sides, "Just wanted to be sure before making lofty claims. Very important, you know."

"I do indeed," Gandalf said with a nod. "Verily, I have ridden to the ends of the earth in search of answers. And I must admit, I could not have foreseen this as the answer to all the riddles. Thoughts made flesh...truly extraordinary. But forgive me, Master Murphy, if that were truly the case, then it stands to reason that we have met?"

I chuckled with a slight hint of nervousness, "No, not met. I've just heard lots of stories. Enough to get a pretty good idea of what you're like."

"A near perfect idea, if I do say so myself," Gandalf said, looking down to briefly examine himself. "I didn't realize that word of my exploits had traveled so far. for clearly we are from very different places if your clothes are any indication."

I shrugged. "The best stories travel the farthest."

He nodded, "This is true."

The Doctor turned back to Gandalf. "Was there anything else you'd like to discus?"

"A brief matter," Gandalf said. "Gwahir and I were speaking before the Council. He and his friends traveled for several hundred leagues in the last day."

"What did they find?" The Doctor asked?"

"Some worrying signs, though thankfully none as worrying as I expected," Gandalf said. "There are signs of movement among mountains in the North. Trolls are on the move, moving by the shade of the cliffs. Several groups of wicked-looking men were also seen, some of them working...some kind of mechanical contraption, unlike anything I've ever seen. The contraptions were like men made of metal, but moved at the command of a master, like a puppet."

"Sounds like some kind of robotic suit, or something," I said.

"The Eagles also saw many black bats and birds sweeping the forest, weaving in and out of the canopy, as if in search," Gandalf said, "No doubt emissaries of Sauron."

"Did they follow the Eagles back here?" the Doctor asked, concerned.

Gandalf shook his head. "No. The Eagles of the Misty Mountains are the greatest and most noble of all birds, and birds that are turned to evil use avoid and detest them."

"Good, very good," the Doctor said, clapping his hands together. "Now, if you'll excuse us, Patrick and I have to return to the rest of humanity in order to report back." And without so much as asking me, he put his arm around my shoulder and directed me back inside the TARDIS. "Not bad, for a first formal meeting," the Doctor said, going over to the control console. "It's clear not everyone's going to be best friends, but what are you going to do?"

"Yeah...right…" I said, putting my hand around my arm.

"Nervous?" he asked.

I nodded. "It...uh...it'll be daunting to go out in front of...all those people...not really sure I can do it, to be honest…."

"Oh I wouldn't ask you to," the Doctor said, "Nor would I trust you to."

"Gee thanks," I said.

"Nothing personal. It's just a very delicate matter, has to be handled with no small amount of finesse and tact."

"Then why are you doing it?"

He looked back at me, leaning on the Console with one hand. "Oh look at Mr. Patrick over here, being all cheeky. Careful now, or I just might flush," he said facetiously, turning back to the controls.

"Right, because you wouldn't know anything about being cheeky," I said.

"I resent that!" he said, pointing at me with his right index finger, "I don't know anything about being cheeky...I know everything about being cheeky!"

"So you're going to tell all of the humans about everything we just talked about?"

The Doctor shook his head. "No. I try to avoid addressing crowds; very easy to miscommunicate. Communication is always best facilitated with small groups."

"So then who will you tell?"

"Heads of state," the Doctor said. "If we can get them to understand, they can deliver it to their own people, who will be more receptive and trusting. We're dealing with a very delicate issue here, Patrick. The wrong word, spoken in the wrong voice, at the wrong time, to the wrong person could create a catastrophe"

"Fair point," I said, "But it doesn't cover everyone. A lot of the people here are leaderless. How are they supposed to learn?"

"Through the magic of the grapevine. You know humans: some of the biggest gossips in the universe."

"So then, am I allowed to tell anyone I want to?"

The Doctor shook his head. "Not yet. Wait until after we deliver our report. And even then, be very cautious about who you tell and how."

"Okay... now what?"

As if in answer, a hard thud sounded from beneath our feet, signaling the landing of the TARDIS. "Now we make our move. Stay close, and say nothing unless I tell you to," the Doctor said, heading for the door with me in tow. The instant the door, cracked open, a roar of busy voices flooded our ears. The crowd had not calmed in the interim. If anything, they'd only grown more anxious. They certainly had grown larger by the looks of things. When the Doctor and I appeared from out of the doorway, the attention of the entire mob was directed right at us. The Doctor held up his left hand to silence the crowd, the sonic screwdriver held in his right hand once again as a makeshift microphone.

"Settle down! Settle down!" he cried out, his voice calling out over the vociferous crowd. "We have come to a few crucial decisions. Key among them - in order to meet the needs of the many different groups of humans represented here, the Council requests that any and all Heads of State step forward. Humans will have their own separate council made of representatives from the highest ranking individual of a sovereign group. Essentially, if there's nobody here who you answer to but yourself and your people, then you qualify."

After a brief moment of hesitation, people began to step forward. First, was T'Challa who declared himself, "I'm King T'Challa, son of T'Chaka, Keeper of the title of Black Panther, and King of Wakanda."

Womander Woman stepped up next. "I am Princess Diana of Themyscara, daughter of Hypolita, Queen of the Amazons."

Next was Boromir. "In the stead of my father, Steward of Gondor, lest Isildur's heir be somewhere among us, I stand before you - Boromir, Captain of the White Tower, Prince Steward of Gondor."

I was not expecting the next person who came. "I am Princess Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon. Heiress to the Throne of Cintra, Heiress to Innis Ard Skellig and Innis Ann Skellig. Princess of Brugge, Duchess of Sodden Suzerain of Attre and Abb Yarra…" she paused, and then - with what sounded like reluctance - she said, "Heiress to the throne of Nilfgaard." Though she spoke clearly and confidently, it was plain to see that she wasn't thrilled about participating.

And so it was, lord after lady, King after Queen, Emperor after Empress, they stepped forward to answer the Doctor's call. By the time the group had finished assembling, 67 different leaders had gathered at the foot of the TARDIS. The Doctor surveyed the group thoroughly, searching for any that didn't belong. When he was satisfied, he nodded slightly to himself and then called out, "The rest of you are henceforth released to await our decisions."

As the group of humans began to disperse, Danaerys said to the Doctor, "What's next? Do you have a place for us to meet?"

The Doctor shrugged with a raise of his wispy eyebrows, "If you call a small outcove in the rocks a 'meeting place.'"

A ways down around the mountainous towers of basalt, the Doctor led us to a sheltered crack n the rock, which was little more than a crevasse. Still, the whole formation was so big, that even a crevasse was more than enough to fit us all in. We arranged ourselves into a circle, with the Doctor at my right and Ciri at my left.

I don't much care for repeating myself, and I doubt you have the patience to listen to the same expository spiel a second time. So I'll just cut to the chase and say that the longest part of the meeting was the Doctor explaining his hypothesis about the nature of the world. When he'd finished, everyone instantly became more forgiving of why the Doctor had selected me, seemingly at random. As you can imagine, they took it about as well as the other species, with equal parts incredulity, shock, and skepticism. Even after demonstrating the experiment, people were doubtful. But, as with the others, they were at least willing to proceed as if that was the case until a better explanation could be found. No one had objected to the Council's decision to allow the dwarves to begin plans on constructing a hall within the rocks, or the resolution to send word out into the wild in search of aid.

I was mostly silent for this meeting, unlike the other one. The differences between the humans weren't nearly as extreme as between the different species, so they didn't need me to intercede to bridge the divide (at least, not as much). This gave me some time to sit with my thoughts, which is rarely a good thing. There was plenty of frustration and fear among the group, and i just couldn't help but feel guilty about it. I couldn't even say at that point how much responsibility I had for these happenings, if any, but I just couldn't help but feel like my world wasn't making a good impression on them. It was wild and filled with danger. It's not the best thing to do in terms of mental health, but I just couldn't get over the feeling that at least some of them were resentful toward me for putting them and the people they cared about into harm's way, even if unintentionally.

The meeting was just about concluded when I suddenly stood up and said, "Wait!" All eyes were turned toward me, and I stumbled in my words. "I...I know this is all...like...you know, confusing and scary and...you know, all that, but I just wanted to say...I'm sorry. I mean, I don't know what's happened, and...I don't think it's my fault, but...I still feel kinda bad about it. It-...it's just, I mean….none of you would be trapped here if I didn't have a mind in the first place…?" I said with an upward inflection and a pronounced shrug.

A few of the leaders looked at one another. It was T'Challa who broke the silence. "I don't think it would be very fair to blame you for simply existing, Mr. Murphy," he said, getting laughs from the crowd.

I laughed too. "I know, it's just...well, if I could fix things, I would."

"I believe you," Wonder Woman said, "And if you aid us in our quest to return home, we will harbor only good will toward you."

Human interaction is a fairly simple thing, at least for me. If you act kindly toward people, most people will act kindly in return. So when T'Challa and Wonder Woman offered their good faith to me, I wanted to do something nice for them. And that desire instantly manifested into an idea. Despite what anyone may say, no one knows you like yourself. And I know myself well enough to know what else must be out there in my world. So I tentatively raised my hand again and said, "Since you've all agreed to work and live here...for the time being...maybe it would make sense to explore a little. You know, to get a better idea of just what this place is like."

"We have some notion already," Boromir said, "that these are perilous lands."

"True," I said, "but there's more to it than that. I want to show you something, something I know for a fact must be out there somewhere."

The leaders looked apprehensively at one another. The next to voice their concern was the Prince of Wales, George IV (although he looked and sounded much more like a young Hugh Laurie). "You'll never get me out into that blasted jungle! Why I'd rather by rogered by the Duke of Wellington!" he said in an extremely exaggerated, almost theatrical voice.

Ciri put her hands on her hips. "Well, I think it's an excellent idea! Besides, it's not as if we'd be helpless. I don't know about the rest of you, but I can look after myself. For those that can't, then surely you must have some kind of formal guard?"

Feeling uncertain, I turned to the Doctor and asked, "What do you think?"

The Doctor had clearly been giving the issue a great deal of thought. "I don't know...you know more than any of us know the kinds of dangers we may face. Do you really think it's a good idea?"

"Well...how about this. I know what it is I want to show these people. Could we use the TARDIS to scan for things like bio or energy signatures?"

"Easily," the Doctor said simply.

"Well then we can use that to find what I'm looking for, and also to see if there are any particularly dangerous entities nearby, right?" I asked.

"I can't see why not," the Doctor said, his arms falling by his sides. "Patrick and I will take a look at the TARDIS Biometrical scanner to find just what he's looking for. Let's all meet back here at noon tomorrow to head out together.."

"Oh, let's include the other species' heads in this too," I suggested. "Only seems fair."

"Very well," the Doctor said. "Are there any other matters to address before we disband?" When no one said anything, the Doctor declared the meeting officially closed.


	6. Chapter 5 - The World of the Creatures

**Chapter Five: The World of the Creatures.**

I could tell that word had already begun spreading throughout the camps later that night by the odd looks that I got from just about everyone I could see. I' m not sure what they're atual reactions were to this revelation, but it was plain to see that one of the most common was sheer disbelief. When I returned to our camp, Geralt, Yennefer,Triss and Brendan were awaiting our return eagerly. Geralt had taken the liberty of venturing into the forest and slaughtering a wild boar, which was roasting over the fire when we got back. At the sight of the first truly hearty meal in the last three days which came from a known edible source, a pang of hunger punched me in the gut. Without thinking, I kneeled down next to the fire in between Ciri and Brendan and grabbed a few strips of pork, shoving them into mouth. I don't even particularly care for pork, but it was good, fattening hot food, something I'd almost forgotten existed. Geralt poured me a cup of water from his canteen.

Ciri and I told the rest about our plans, most of which didn't interest the others. The only thing that did was when I mentioned my 'surprise.' When I brought it up, Yennefer asked, "Care to share the secret with us? Seeing as how we're unlikely to be in attendance."

"Why not?" Ciri asked, smiling. "We're allowed to bring guests."

"I don't remember that part," I said playfully to Ciri.

She smiled. "I don't remember them saying we couldn't," she said with a wink. "Besides if we can bring guards, wny not friends? "

"Fair point," I said, toasting her logic with a cup of water from Geralt's canteen. "So, who wants to come?"

"First I'd need to know where you're going," Yennefer said.

"What, and ruin the surprise?" I said.

"Care to tag along Geralt?" asked, putting her hand on his shoulder. "Might be a monster or two to cut down."

"That's your pitch to me? work?"

"Oh don't pretend you don't love it," she said, pushing off his shoulder.

"Alright, you got me," he said, smiling at her. "I'll go."

"Count me in too," Triss said, "it'd be better than hanging around here doing nothing for another day."

"Agreed," Yennefer said, "And I'm confident we all know how to defend ourselves"

"What about you Brendan?" I asked.

"Sure!" he said. "I certainly don't know how to defend myself, but I trust all of you to do it for me!"

"Ugh, this is so exciting! I can't wait!" I said. And as I thought more about the prospect, a thought occurred to me. "Actually...I'm sure there are a few other people out there who would greatly appreciate what I've got in mind. Let me see if I can find them."

I set out into the crowd to see if I could find who I who I had in mind. It took a little while, but once I found one of them, I found pretty much all of them. No doubt they had happened upon each other in the throng and stayed together, thankful to find people they actually recognized. They were mostly men, with only a few women, and almost all of them were white. They were all older than me by at least 5 years, and some by as much as 60. I approached the group cautiously, as many of them were people I held in very high regard, and I was feeling just a little bit starstruck (a feeling that was all too familiar at that point).

I went up to a man in his early 40s, slightly shorter than me with glasses and short brown hair. "Dr. Darren Naish?" I asked tentatively.

He smiled and nodded. "Yes?" he said with a London accent

"HI, I'm Patrick Murphy."

"Oh, yes, right! It's nice to finally meet you!" Darren said, reaching out to shake my hand.

I took it and said, "Same to you! Though I can safely say, these aren't exactly the circumstances in which I'd imagined meeting you."

"You can say that again!" Darren said, turning to look at the surrounding mob. "I don't suppose you've heard the rumors?"

"Rumors?"

He nodded, "Yeah, that this whole world is made from someone's mind?"

I grinned. "Oh I heard alright. As a matter of fact...the someone in question is me!"

Surprised, Darren said, "Really?"

"Yup," I said with a nod. "There hasn't been a single thing here that I haven't recognized yet. I spoke with the Doctor...you know the Doctor , as in-right, and we conducted some experiments, and...well, here we are."

"Wow," Darren said, looking me over again. "Do you know how it happened?"

I shook my head. "Nope. Still waiting on that."

"Well...it's good to see you," Darren said, clearly not sure of what else to say.

"Yeah, you too," I said. "I see a lot of our other mutual friends are here as well."

"Oh yeah, almost feels like the whole gang is here - almost," he said, gesturing to the people around us. "We got Mark Witton, Andrea Cau, Dave Hone, Matt Wedel, Mike Taylor, John Conway, Lisa Buckley, Liz Martin-Silverstone, Gerogia MaClean Witton, Emily Willoughby, Brian Switek, Dean Lomax, Ashley Hall, Tom Holtz…"

"Excellent!" I said, my excitement growing even more. "Listen, I was talking with all the leaders of the two councils, and tomorrow we're going to be going out on a little...field trip of sorts I was actually wondering if you'd have any interest in joining us?"

"Oh, you mean, just me specifically, or, like, all of us here?"

".All of you here," I said. "I don't want to give away the surprise, but let's just say that it's something that I think a group of paleontologists and zoologists would definitely be able to appreciate. In the words of John Hammond, 'It's right up your alley.'"

"I see," Darren said, raising his eyebrows with a knowing smile. "Where are you heading out to?"

"The Doctor and I still need to establish the exact coordinates, but not too far from here, I'm guessing."

"I see," Darren said, "Well, if half the things people have said are out there are true, I'd be very much interested in a...uh, an expedition like that."

"Perfect!" I said.

Darren and I spent the next few minutes going around, introducing myself, and getting more people to agree to come on the trip. Most of them recognized me, though their levels of recognition varied. Few knew me only by face. Upon hearing my name, many of them nodded and smiled and offered to shake my hand. Dr. Mark Witton, the pterosaur specialist and paleoartist, seemed delighted to meet me, as did Albert Hen, better known by his internet handle, "Albertonykus." I was probably most delighted to be identified correctly by Professor Tom Holtz - chairman of the geology department of the University of Maryland, and the world's leading expert on _Tyrannosaurus rex_. These were all people whom I had read and respected for many years, but my interaction with them was limited by our geographical distance. They were not only smart, but eloquent, friendly, funny, and just overall pleasant to interact with. I was genuine when I said I thought the trip was something they'd enjoy...but I'd be lying if I didn't admit that it wasn't also because I wanted to impress them. Vanity very often accompanies self-consciousness.

Not all of the leaders decided to show up to the gathering the next day. Most that did were either from societies with more advanced technological weaponry or where leaders do more in the way of actually leading, rather than sitting behind a desk and ordering people around.. So Laurie's Prince Regent wasn't there, nor were some of the old American presidents (Theodore Roosevelt was a welcome exception), former governor Christie, or Cornelius Fudge. A few of them had decided to bring guards along with them: T'Challa had brought two of the Dora Milaje, Ambassador Janax was accompanied by three Silurian soldiers, and King Theoden of Rohan was joined by his captain of the Rohirrim.

I joined the Doctor in the TARDIS, and we stood together at the primary controls. "So, what are you looking for exactly?"

"Bio signatures," I said, "None in particular, but a dense cluster, as many as possible gathered in a single space...uh, besides here that is,"

"Alrighty," The Doctor said, pushing buttons and keys on the console. An image appeared on the screen - blue terrain punctuated by yellow dots. There was a dense collection of yellow dots around the vicinity of the tree, indicating all of us. "There," the Doctor said, pointing above our position, "To the North."

He was right. There were hundreds of little yellow dots scattered all over a section in the Northern part of the map. It was exactly what I was hoping to find. "Perfect. Can you do a check to see if any of those bio signatures are a significant threat."

"Let me just make this adjustment here…" the Doctor said as he pulled a few levers and calibrated a few knobs. When he was finished, the dots had shifted colors. Most of the dots turned green, while many remained yellow, and a rare few were red. Looking at a scale bar at the bottom of the screen, I saw that the colors indicated threat level. Green was low threat, and as the gradation moved toward yellow, it indicated moderate threat. Red was, appropriately enough, high level threat, but there were barely any red dots at all on the spot we were looking at.

"How far away is that?" I asked.

"5O miles, give or take," The Doctor said.

"Okay...okay...that's it, that's the one. That's where I want to go."

"Very well, "the Doctor said. "We won't be able to use the TARDIS though. The Eosapiens won't fit inside."

"That's okay. I actually prefer it this way."

The Doctor looked at me, with an expression of deep insult. "Why, what's wrong with the TARIDS?"

"Nothing!" I said quickly, putting up my hands defensively, "It's just that it'll be more scenic this way."

The Doctor's expression relaxed, but he still looked bemused. "Never much cared for the scenic route."

"What are you talking about? Your whole life is the scenic route!" I said to him.

"Exactly."

The both of us exited the TARDIS to share our travel plans with the rest of the group. We would all be traveling in three ships, one supplied by the Venatorials, one by the Wakandans, and one by the Silurians. Each one had to be refitted slightly to accommodate the extreme discrepancies in our various morphologies. For example, perches were outfitted for the sake of the Pterosapiens, and the Eosapiens had to be tethered to the outside, as their eternally volant lifestyle and huge size prevented them from actually sitting in the crafts. It was also a bit of a hassle convincing some of the more technologically primitive leaders to board these vessels, which was frustrating but also perfectly understandable. Not all were like this though - Roosevelt was positively delighted. Once we punched in the coordinates to the on board computers, we took off.

Unlike something like an airplane, the ships all rose vertically, slowly rising before drifting forward. I could feel the power of the engines vibrating through up from the floor through my feet, but their inner workings were surprisingly quiet. The ships were somewhere between rectangular and ovoid, and were open air, allowing us all to see out across the canopy in any direction. As the ships gained momentum, I felt the gradual build of tension as the force of the moving aircrafts pulled me, and the rushing air pushed against me. Cruising at incredible speed, the ships veered lazily to turn so as to avoid the forceful tug of our bodies by the forces of inertia.

At first, the canopy below stretched out far and flat, like an ocean of vibrant green. But as we moved further North toward our destination, the tree tops began to roll like waves over the increasingly uneven terrain underneath. Steep slopes climbed up to towering mountain peaks, which slid down into wide, open valleys, all clothed in layers of magnificent trees. Clouds of fog hung over the valleys, the mountain peaks rising over them like the backs of giant sea monsters. Never in my entire life have I ever seen anything so genuinely and purely wild. It was primordial and ancient, and yet so very fresh and exploding with life. I wasn't alone in my exaltation. All around me, my fellow passengers were staring out into the depths of the mountainous jungle spreading out around us, stretching beyond oblivion. Even creatures like the Eosapiens, which had seemed so huge just moments before, were no utterly dwarfed by the vast rainforest engulfing our vision on all sides.

And then...something strange happened...which sounds pretty redundant, I know, but just follow me here. I heard music. At first, I didn't even notice it. Even when I did notice it, I felt it long before I heard it...which I know, doesn't really make any sense, but...well, it was as if I only realized there was a song playing about halfway after it had started. When I realized what I was listening too, I assumed it was just playing in my head, as music often does. But this was something different. It was much clearer, with a much more consistent rhythm. Looking around me, I saw that people sitting close by also seemed to be hearing something, their heads swiveling on their shoulders in search of the source. But we all came to the same conclusion - it wasn't really coming from anywhere, it was coming from everywhere. It was just emanating out of the ether, meeting our ears in a way that was comfortable and pleasant.

What was the music? It was the triumphant brass and deep strings of, "Journey to the Island," from the _Jurassic Park_ Soundtrack. More than fitting for the vistas we were seeing.  
The song ended on an uncannily perfect cue when the ships touched down in a small clearing in the trees, landing on an uneven collection of foliage. Getting out was kind of awkward because we kept sliding on the layers of broken ferns and shrubs, but we made it to firm ground easily enough. The Doctor carried a small hand held device that looked like a smartphone, but which was certainly used to lead us toward the biosignatures. "Alright everyone," he called out to the group, "Stay close."

I stayed close to the Doctor, with Brendan at my side. By his side, Ciri, Geralt, Yen, and Triss marched almost as if they were in formation, and at my other side were Darren, Mark, and all of my other online paleo buddies. It was a kind of chain of familiarity. All around us, the various leaders - human and otherwise - kept close to each other. The Doctor's thesis that danger begat unity was holding up: they were closer to each other than I'd yet seen them, and their eyes were fixed on the surrounding treeline.

It'd been a few days since I was this deep into the forest, and I had nearly forgotten the kind of energy that radiates from the trees. The air was heavy with with floral scents and the constant calls that could only hint at the trillions of living things that surrounded us. Going from such a high view of the jungle to being sheltered in its depths felt like shrinking down to the skin of a titanic organism. Moving through the forest was difficult for all of us, but for those with trailing clothing, or those of great size, it was especially difficult. We were not a subtle bunch: our movement through the trees was loud with the noise of breaking foliage: rustling leaves, snapping twigs, breaking branches. Our motion disturbed numerous birds and other small animals into scattering.

We moved for about 20 or 30 minutes. I could tell some were starting to get antsy, wondering what they were supposed to be looking for. And then, a shadow moved overhead. We all looked up, but couldn't see anything distinguishable at first in the blinding mixture of light and dark. A sound crept through the trees - the shifting of leaves and branches as something massive moved through the trees.

A flurry of motion swept the group. The Dora Milaje held their spears aloft. Caesar's gorillas charged forward ahead of him. Geralt reached for the hilt of his silver sword. The Doctor held up his hand and cried out, "Wait!" They obeyed, but stood their ground firmly.

"What is it?" Boromir whispered, holding his sword.

"Something big," T'Challa answered.

I could make out a shadowy shape shifting and swaying behind layers of tree limbs and conifer needles. Once more, a shadow passed over the sun above, but this time we kept our gaze there, hoping our eyes would adjust well enough to find whatever it was looming over us.  
At first, it appeared as if one of the branches had come to life, but I soon realized what we were looking at: a neck a fat, long neck reaching over 70 feet up into the canopy. A comparatively small, boxy head with a protruding snout grabbed onto a stem and pulled back, stripping the whole thing of green. I followed the neck down to try to find the enormous body, but it was obscured by dense undergrowth. We all moved to the right to see if we could make out the rest of the animal. A small clearing in the trees provided our first real glimpse.

The animal stretched 120 feet from the end of its rounded muzzle to the tip of its whip-like tail: twice as long as the Eosapiens were tall. Over half of the animal's length was contained within its incredible neck, which was thick with muscle. The body was rounded and supported by four thin, elegant limbs that carried the creature's immense bulk with ease and grace. The color of its scaly hide was difficult to make out in the forest gloom, but the back half of its body appeared to be dark brown dappled with pale yellow. Its body grew more sandy-colored as i moved my eyes toward its chest, and its neck was striped with magnificent streaks of gold and scarlet. It's head was pure black. Now that I saw it in full view, it is nearly unbelievable that it was ever able to conceal itself so efficiently in the forest. Yet it moved with such fluidity and near-silence that it appeared as if it could vanish back into the depths of the trees, never to be seen again at any moment.

There it was again. I was prepared for it this time. Once more, as if born from the air itself, I heard violins. John Williams' "Theme to _Jurassic Park_," was playing around us, though I don't think the others realized it yet. They were too preoccupied with the magnificent colossus looming over us. I smiled - this is exactly the kind of experience I had been hoping for. I turned to look at Darren and the other paleos. They were frozen - expressions of shocked awe and pure ecstasy plastered on their faces. Tom Holtz gripped his heart. Mark Witton's fingers were clawing the air at his sides.

The others were no less enthralled by the creature. All of those holding weapons found that their arms slackened, lowering their guard unconsciously. Triss covered her mouth with her hands. Ambasador Janax was beaming at the beast, her mouth extending into scaly dimples. Mahkt'a stood with both of her hands on her spear, as if supporting herself with it like a walking stick.

Darren was the first of us to move toward it. As if in a trance, he mindlessly stepped forward toward the dinosaur a few feet out in front of the rest of us. His mouth hung open, and his eyes almost looked as if they were filed with a powerful stupor or malaise. Both of his arms dangled at his sides. The animal was so expansive that Darren had a hard time finding just one part to focus on, and his eyes moved from its head, down its neck to its feet, then back up to its head again.

He turned back to look at us, holding up a pointing index finger toward the animal. "It's...it's a dinosaur!"

Those of us who got his reference laughed, though some of us did so with sniffles.I looked at Ciri, and saw that she was looking at me too, her eyes glistening. Others, who had never heard the word before wondered even more..

"Dinosaur?" Boromir said aloud to himself.

Mark Witton spoke next. "_Mamenchisaurus_. I'm guessing _M sinocanadorum_ based on the size, but...well, who the hell knows really?" he said, putting his hand on his forehead and laughing.

Darren laughed next, looking at Mike Taylor and Matthew Wedel, "Raised neck posture, ha!"

The other two laughed as well. "No restrictions on movement! No problem lifting it up! I'd like to see Stevens's face if he ever saw this!" Matt Wedel said.

"Look at the color of the neck!" said Emily Willoughby. "That's gotta be a display feature! Could the extreme necks of mamenchisaurids have evolved under pressures from sexual selection?"

"Of course it's possible," Tom Holtz said.

Ciri leaned in close to me and said quietly, "I think I know why you wanted to bring this lot along."

The dinosaur took a few steps backward, and then - without warning - it reared up on to its hind legs, putting its neck up another few dozen feet. It pushed past the branches and pressed its flat front feet against the trunk. Everything was frozen for an instant before an aching, groaning sound rose up through the trees. It was followed by a loud, sudden crack, and a snapping of many branches. This sound was soon followed by the rush of air through the course conifer needles as the whole tree began to fall. It hung suspended in mid air for a half second before slowly collapsing toward the ground, gaining speed until a tremendous crash rang through the wood.

"By the white tower," Bromor said in a gasp. "What is this beast?"

"This," I said, pointing, "Is a dinosaur. Dinosaurs were a group of animals that flourished in my world - in many of our worlds - for hundreds of millions of years, before most of them died out 66 million years before the first humans."

"'Millions?'" Yennefer repeated. "Gods, I'd never even imagined a count of years like that."

"If you think that's amazing, listen to this," I said. "Although most dinosaurs died out 66 million years ago, there was one group that managed to survive to our time, and they are everywhere - birds!"

At the word 'birds' many heads turned to look at me. "Birds?" Roosevelt cried out. "You claim this behemoth shares kinship with songbirds and poultry?"

"That is the consensus yes," I said. "Dinosaurs come in all shapes and sizes, some of which are more bird-like than others. Some are the size of bumblebees, and others are larger even than this one!"

Wonder Woman said, "Is this what you wanted to show us, then?"

I nodded. "In part, yes See, here's the thing...these creatures...they are my absolute greatest passion in life. I've been utterly infatuated with them since before I can even remember. 'Dinosaur' was the first word I could spell!" I said. Many laughed at this. but I was being completely serious. "I can't explain it wholey, but I know that part of the reason that I love them so much is because they represent the epitome of life's potential, which to me is the single most beautiful thing about life: starting in one place, and ending in some place completely different.

"Life in my world began some 4 billion years ago as nothing more than a few blindly drifting organic molecules. But through purely natural forces working around them, these bonded, and grew, both in size and complexity, forming working units in the form of cells. Cells joined to form organs, organs into systems, systems into living, breathing creatures. Life's beginnings aren't just humble - they're positively pathetic. And yet, from those infinitesimal beginnings, the tree of life has grown into forms so numerous and so wonderful, that they are truly beyond human appreciation. Dinosaurs are a good example of this.

"The first dinosaurs were small, and utterly unremarkable. If you were to see one for yourself, there would be nothing to hint at its magnificent destiny. And yet, from that small forebear, they would go on to evolve into the most spectacular group of living things that ever lived on our planet. Small, swift heterodontosaurs, crested hadrosaurs, armored ankylosaurs with bony clubs on the ends of their tails, stegosaurs with huge plates and spikes running along their spines, pachycephalosaurs with tall domes of solid bone on their heads, ceratopsians with elaborate horns and frills, gigantic sauropods with hugely long necks and whip like tails, and predatory theropods with bone crushing jaws and savage claws. All of those amazing creatures evolved from small, simple bipedal predators in the Middle Triassic Period."

A strange, haunting call drifted through the treetops overhead, like a low deep throbbing that rang melodiously. The sound passed through my body like a phantom. The dinosaur raised its neck at the sound of the cry, stretching it out to its fullest length up into the canopy. The bottom of its brilliantly colored neck began to undulate, and the same lonesome song started to emanate from deep within the animal.. After lasting for about a minute or so, the calls ceased, and the dinosaur took one step toward its left, beginning the laborious act of turning its titanic body. Needle-laden branches stroked the side of its scaly skin as it slowly lumbered away from us.

I followed it, and the others followed me. "And that's all the more remarkable when you consider the horrific cataclysms that have faced life in the past, cataclysms the likes of which are beyond anything in human experience. Time and time again, mass death has swept over the planet, wiping out whole swathes of creatures. There have been points when life itself was on the brink of extinction. But life has proved hardy and resilient, able not only to survive but to thrive in the aftermath. Again, dinosaurs are a great example. The meteor that wiped them out was billions of times more devastating than anything in all of human experience, and yet they survived! And their avian descendents are everywhere!

"All living things - all of us - are connected to this vast legacy through our evolutionary past. The versatility and potential of life goes so far beyond human imagination. You will see things here that you are sure aren't real - that can't be real. But whether they're real or not almost doesn't matter. Life is never limited by our lack of imagination. That they aren't real is more to do with random circumstance than natural law. Indeed, the universe as we know it so unfathomable in its workings, that when you see the 'real' and the 'not real' side by side, you may find you have trouble telling them apart."

As we followed the _Mamenchisaurus_, it led us out of the trees toward a terrific expanse of grass spreading out over a rolling valley. The light of the sun shone down on our eyes, blinding us with white for a brief moment. Though we couldn't see, our ears were filled with the sounds not only of the rising music, still climbing to its most reverent point, but also with various sounds; grunts, snorts, bleets, clicks, whistles, trumpets, howls, and such. But as our eyes adjusted, the ethereal music swelled to a climactic peak, The light cleared to reveal a spectacle greater than anything any of us had ever seen.

The valley below, sheltered on all sides by towering, tree-covered mountains, was teeming with every kind of creature conceivable - and then some. The Mamenchisaurus ambled over to a herd of its kind, which wandered alongside everything from herds of the flat-horned stem -giraffe, _Bramatherium_, to the thick skinned, hexapodal sturmbeests of Pandora. Long legged creatures such as the ostrich-like ornithomimosaurs, the membranous-antlered blue hexapedes, and the maned, vertical-faced wildebeest of today pranced elegantly through the tall blades of grass, cutting them down to size with each bite. Beside them were giants such as the tripodal grovebacks, with groves of trees sprouting up from their spongy hides, and long-necked titanosaurs that dwarfed even the _Mamenchisaurus_. Whether they were the genital-mouthed para-tetrapods of Snaiad or the hermaphroditic, liquivores of Darwin IV, the full splendor of life's diversity was laid before us. Sphenacodonts, gorgonopsians, pterosaurs, ceratopsians, proboscideans, notungulates, astrapotheres, temnospondyls, tyrannosaurs, dicynodonts, phorusrhacids, Ankylosaurs, ratites, rhinoceros, aetosaurs, pareiasaurs, giraffids, equids, entelodonts, creodonts, allosaurs, and so SO much more! All of these - the past, the present, the future, from my world, and from world's only dreamed of; from every combination of time, space, and imagination.

As you probably noticed - and as I mentioned to the others - fictional creatures existed side by side with real ones. But as they say - truth is stranger than fiction. And indeed, so many of the real animals were just so utterly bizarre, that the fictional ones seemed like they fit right in with the rest. And there was another effect that seeing all of these creature simultaneously had on my perception. It's tempting to think that things like horses or deer would look positively boring next to things like dinosaurs and aliens. But the opposite thing happened. It felt like I was seeing them - truly seeing them - for the first time. It put them into an entirely new context where some things about them - like the way horses move on the absolute tips of their toes - could be truly appreciated because of all the other creatures around them. Rather than any one group of creatures seeming mundane or uninteresting, they were all made beautiful by each other: clay molded into every shape imaginable, and so many more besides.

I was not alone in my exaltation. Looking behind me, I saw that the sight had had a profound impact on everyone else, human and otherwise. I can't know for sure, but I'm fairly certain that any species there capable of crying did. Whether they were the quiet tears of Boromir, the stern, glistening eyes of Roosevelt, the weeping sniffles of the Dora milaje, or the plaintive, passionate sobs of Darren, felled to his knees with his face in his hands.

Vurkina of the Satyriacs moved toward the person closest to her - one of the Dora milaje - and, put her hand on the woman's shoulder. The guard flinched at first, but calmed as Vurkina spoke. "Yes, my ancestral sister. Your tears are a libation to beauty undreamed." And I saw that her eyes also shined, and it hit me how utterly and quintessentially human it was that, even after 500 million years of natural selection, genetic exploitation, and alien invasion, human beings still wept when confronted with the sublime.

Indeed, as I looked around the group, the feeling truly was universal among all species. They didn't all cry - though some did, such as the Na'vi, and Treebeard, who's eyes leaked amber resin - but every single one of them felt the exact same thing. Mahk'ta bowed her head, and put her closed fist on her shoulder. The Eosapiens hummed, with their front sides blazing gold. Lourina of the dinosaur tribes sang like a lark, and next to her, the Pterosapiens oligarchs stretched out their wings to bathe in the sunlight. Despite how extraordinarily different we all were from each other, in morphology as well as culture, the elation we felt came from a place that was so fundamental and so universal that it transcended all boundaries. The scope of life's diversity traversed all of our various discrepancies and struck at the heart of what it means to be a thinking, feeling being.

I was so entranced with the sight that I almost didn't notice when Brendan stepped back and said, "Uh, Patrick?"

"What?" I asked stupidly. Looking around, I saw that all the others had also turned their attention toward me, their expressions ranging from confusion to shock. It was if I had some large glob of ketchup or mustard on my face, so I instinctively rose my hand to wipe it off, but when I saw my hand, it was glowing brilliant white, surrounded by a green radiance. I flinched and stumbled backwards, turning over my hand to see if the same effect presevent on the other side. In fact it was, and it was present on my other arm, and on every part of my body as far as I could tell. "Oh shit!" I said reflexively.

"What is this?" Roosevelt asked, cleaning his glasses.

The Doctor moved closer to me, pulling out his sonic screwdriver and scanning me up and down with it. Taking a look at the results, he shook his head slowly and said, "I'm not sure…"

Galadriel spoke. "You see him now, as the elves see him. You see that which is in him, which ties him to all that is in this world."

Before we had time to ponder what this actually meant, a sudden loud honking sound came from behind me. We all looked and saw an animal trotting up the hill toward us. It was six feet tall at eye level, and stretched nearly twenty feet from nose to tail. It was covered in jet black feathers that shone blue when the sunlight reflected off of them, save for a red streak behind its yellow, hawk-like eyes. All in all, it looked like a giant black eagle, though instead of a hooked beak, its feathered face led to a naked snout filled with teeth. In addition, its wings were small, and bared three, clawed fingers, and it had a long bony tail surrounded by a round fan of feathers. The feathers extended all the way down to its feet, which were scaly, and with toes topped with plate-like scales. The second toe on each foot bore a large law, which was bigger than the others, and was sharply curved. This claw was so large that the creature had to hold it off the ground when walking.

As it came closer, those that were armed raised their weapons toward the creature, but it stopped about 20 feet away. It stood in place, occasionally raising its feet and stretching out its toes, and cocking its head from side to another to get a better look at us with each eye.

"What's it doing?" Triss asked quietly to Geralt.

I looked at the Doctor. "Doctor?"

"Don't look at me," he said, putting up his hands. "This is your world,"

Unsure, I turned to Darren and the other paleos. "Large Dromaeosaur, right?"

Tom Holtz nodded. "_Dakotaraptor_, based on the body proportions. Unless it's some new, undescribed taxon."

For about a minute, the _Dakotaraptor _just stood and looked at me, as if waiting for me to do something. Unsure of what that something actually was, I finally worked up the nerve to step toward it. It didn't move. As I got closer to it, it stuck its neck out, its head tilting up and down curiously. By the time I was only five feet away, I was expecting some kind of warning not to get closer, a hiss or a ruffle of its feathers, but nothing. Then, it took a step toward me, craning its neck forward, which was a lot longer than I expected since most of its length was hidden in the layers of feathers coating its body. Our noses were inches apart from each other, so close I could see its nostrils flaring with each sniff. Finally, its featherless snout bumped up against my cheek, causing me to jump in place. It retracted its head for a moment, but reached out again when I was still. For those not bothering to keep track, just keep in mind that the situation at that point was that I was glowing with a white-green light, and a raptor dinosaur was nuzzling me.

"Wait," I said, still standing there, "I...I think I might know. This...I think this might be my Spirit Creature."

"Your what?" Yennefer asked.

"Spirit Creature. You know, a creature that represents your personality. Like a spirit animal, only it can be anything. I've been playing around with the idea of Spirit Creatures since high school, and I've always thought of mine as a Dromaeosaur" Nobody had any objections. How could they?

We stayed in the presence of the creatures of the valley for a few more minutes, the _Dakotaraptor _staying by my side, almost like a faithful pet. By the time we were ready to leave, I had stopped glowing, and had returned to my usual pale complexion. When the time came to return to the tree, the ride was silent: no spontaneous incidental music, nor casual conversation. Instead, everyone sat in a contented quiet, like a family that all indulged in the same feast. It definitely felt like they were much more comfortable with each other now, allowing each other's knees to touch while sitting with a much more relaxed posture. After only about 15 minutes in the air, we returned to the tree, all of us safe and sound and with a new raptorial member in my charge.

Upon our return, the Doctor took me into the TARDIS to conduct a number of experiments to determine the nature of my previous luminescence. But despite sticking, poking, and otherwise assailing me with many different scientific instruments, he was at a loss. As far as he could tell, there had been no observable biological change in me. Eventually he just had to give up and let me go.

I returned to our camp and we exchanged stories about what we'd seen in the great tropical wilderness. I invited the paleos to join us at the _Witcher_ camp, and was delighted to learn that there were many creatures that I had missed that others had seen, and vice versa. Luckily, since many of my paleo friends are skilled and experienced educators, they were able to explain many of these creatures to Ciri, Geralt, Triss, and Yennefer, putting them into the context of their relations to the animals that _Witcher_ folk would be familiar with. It was a terrific evening, filled with more wild game for dinner, funny stories, much talk of creatures, and of course my new feathered friend, who kept close to me the entire time. After all this, I can safely say that we still had very little - if any - idea about what had happened, but that was beginning to bother me less and less. That night, I didn't care if we ever returned home.


End file.
